MEPS Expands its Facilities, Broadens its Capabilities

In an industry where a loyal customer following and long-term success hinges upon a company’s ability to consistently deliver quality products and services, and timely, personalized customer care, it’s little wonder Gallatin, TN-based MEPS Inc. has grown by leaps and bounds, and has earned a solid reputation as the premier provider of GE medical systems and parts.

A family-owned and -operated company since its inception 16 years ago, MEPS has stayed well-positioned and ever-committed to meeting the evolving needs and demands of its customers – all while maintaining the integrity, wholesome values and quality-driven focus that customers have come to expect from MEPS.
Staying abreast of the steady growth required MEPS to embark upon a major expansion, with the first stage in the development process being completed in January 2007. This new facility, a 50,000 square foot, state-of-the-art building, is the first of many and is yet another symbol of MEPS’ commitment to delivering the very best products and services reliably, honestly and consistently, and always with the highest level of quality.

“Due to the tremendous amount of growth MEPS has experienced over the past few years in our system and parts sales, building this facility was the next step in expanding the company,” noted MEPS vice president Lisa Hogan. With Phase I now complete, MEPS is already focusing its attention on the next stages of development, which will accommodate future growth and demand.

Read on to learn more about the new facility and MEPS’ advanced system capabilities, how the premier parts and equipment provider continues to set itself apart amongst the competition, and why, bigger truly does mean better for the company, its customers and the community at large.

MEPS completed construction of its new, 50,000 square foot facility in January. How does this new building better meet the needs of MEPS’ customers?

Lisa Hogan: While designing the first building we knew, first and foremost, that we wanted it to have the capability of numerous staging bays – 24 to be exact – all which have the ability to be up and running simultaneously. Since working for GE in staging and product design, Chris Hogan, MEPS’ owner, wanted our staging area to replicate the technique and quality of GE’s manufacturing. We encourage our customers to visit MEPS and tour our facility and see for themselves the difference in what we can offer them. While here, customers can sit down with one of our engineers to configure a system designed specifically for their facility and needs. MEPS has in stock the most current GE systems available and we’re proud to say that our GE product part line is the best in the industry, with products ranging from obsolete 1980s conventional systems to the current Legacy, Advantx E, Precision 500 and Innova systems. We carry all GE x-ray products, including mammography, portables, rad rooms, R&F, endo, cardiac catheterization, angio/special procedures, and remote rooms.

What are the next stages of development or expansion?

LH: When we made the decision to buy land and build we did so with the expectation to meet the demands of future growth. We purchased 23 acres in the industrial park for a campus-type atmosphere. We have a total of four buildings on the drawing board. Each is estimated to be at least 50,000 square feet and accommodate a different modality. The next building is due to break ground early spring 2008 and this facility will be dedicated to CT and Nuclear products.

For the past 16 years MEPS has earned a solid reputation as being an expert in GE systems, as well as making the commitment not to source any parts it sells. Why is this so beneficial to customers?

LH: Chris started working for GE Medical in manufacturing and product design 26 years ago, after the death of his father to cancer. He used his engineering degree to help better serve the sick and dying as a tribute to his late father. He designed and developed imaging equipment, which is still in use today. After several years in manufacturing he transferred with GE to Augusta, GA, as a field service engineer.
It was during this time as a field engineer that he witnessed firsthand a critical need in the parts industry. Wrong parts were being sent to him on a consistent basis which meant the hospital would stay down for a longer period of time. What most parts companies don’t understand is the effect a down system has on the hospital, as well as the patient. The hospital is losing money, which in turn keeps their costs high. The patient loses faith in their hospital when they have to reschedule their appointment, which may have required them to take time off work or take certain medications before their procedure. When a system goes down the engineer is called in to correct this problem as efficiently as possible and order the part from a reliable source. This is the reason why, in 1992, MEPS was established – to better serve the hospitals and engineers with our quality parts. When they call MEPS they can rest assured that the product they receive will be what they ordered and it will be tested by a qualified GE engineer before shipment. This, in turn, eliminates the extensive down time for the hospital, which means better productivity and happier patients.

MEPS has an impressively vast GE product portfolio. Can you tell us what MEPS can offer customers?

LH: We proudly advertise that MEPS has the largest privately owned GE X-ray product line in the industry. With more than 130,000 square feet of product we can supply our customers with the parts they need and they can be assured that the quality is unmatched. MEPS advertises that ‘When you buy from MEPS it comes from MEPS,” meaning that our company does not source. When we promise our customers we can sell them the right part at the lowest price, we mean it. How can a company stand behind its promises on a part that has been sourced possibly several times? We own every piece of equipment in our facility, which means we have cost control. Because we are the supplier, there are no middle man mark-ups. If you find the product somewhere else for less we have the capability to meet or beat their prices.

MEPS offers a Parts ID Program. Can you explain this program and how it differs from similar programs out there?

LH: MEPS has an extensive library of complete system manuals, which includes everything from pre-installation documentation to renewal parts on every system we sell. We wanted to offer an alternative way to get parts information to our customers who may not have the resources available. Not only does it help eliminate some of the guess work of parts ordering, we believe this is a great tool for helping the customer reduce system down time.

Part of MEPS’ success, it seems, is giving back to others in some unexpected, yet meaningful, ways. Why do you believe this is so important?

LH: MEPS is a family-owned and -operated business and by giving back to our community we not only set the example for other companies to volunteer their resources, but for those who work for us as well. We have been asked by several of our employees to possibly host a Habitat for Humanity event next year. This type of compassion and loyalty makes Chris and I very thankful for each and every person who works for us. We are all family here – with or without the Hogan name.

Contact Information:
MEPS Inc.
195 Commerce Way, Gallatin, TN
Telephone: (615) 452-1000 or
Toll Free (800) 452-6377 (MEPS)
Fax: (615) 452-1027
Website: www.mepsinc.com