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HME NEWS / JANUARY 2012 / WWW.HMENEWS.COM GF enhances bed facility BY LIZ BEAULIEU, Editor ATLANTA – Graham-Field (GF) has further cemented its commitment to manufacturing its Patriot Homecare Bed in the United States with two recent investments. Basic American Medical Products, a manu- facturer of healthcare beds and a GF Health Products factory brand, has expanded its Fond du Lac, Wis., facility by 40,000 square feet and installed a high-tech fiber optic laser tube cutting system, GF announced in late October. "Five to 10 years ago, the big buzz word was outsourcing and we're not convinced that's always the answer," said Kurt Hellman, senior vice president of manufacturing for GF Health Products. GF moved the production of its Patriot Homecare Bed back to the United States in 2009 as part of its "Made in the USA Strategic Initiative." Earlier this year, it moved produc- tion of its Lumex recliners back to the United States to a facility in Atlanta. Basic American, which manufactures beds for nursing home use in addition to home use, expanded its facility to make room for the new system, and to increase its production and warehouse capabilities to meet growing BIG BET CONTINUED FROM PAGE PREVIOUS PAGE With its recent acquisitions, Drive Medi- cal is trying to ease these difficulties with increased sales, Diamond said. "Because we're all being squeezed on margins, you have to sell more to make what you did years ago," he said. Steve Neese, president of ActiveCare Medical, acknowledges that it needs Drive Medical's distribution capabilities and leas- ing services, among other big company benefits, to "accelerate success." "We ran up ActiveCare pretty good by anyone's standards of success and profit," he said. "But to get to the next level, a com- pany like Drive Medical is going to make a huge difference." Diamond says expect more acquisitions from Drive Medical in the future. "We're now 10 years old, and I think we're maturing," he said. "Stay tuned." HME DHS CONTINUED FROM PAGE PREVIOUS PAGE week and people didn't know about it." DHS also strives to make the newsletter fun. For a recent April Fools' Day, the news- letter included a photo of the car of one of its managers under the headline, "You could win this car." "We also said we had a new version of our software that would take 20 pounds off of you," Pugh said. In its newsletters in August and Septem- ber, DHS promoted a contest to commemo- rate its 200th issue. Users who completed three puzzles correctly—a word search, a jumble and a crossword puzzle—had their names thrown into a hat to win paid reg- istration to the CPR+ User Conference in Las Vegas Oct. 14-16; roundtrip airfare; and accommodations at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino. "The response was overwhelming," Pugh said. HME Read all about it in HME News! Don't delay...get your FREE subscription today! www.hmesubscribe.com Start making your connections today! hmecareercenter.com Follow us! new jobs postings job seeking advice tips on resumes, interviews & more The Meeting Place for HME Jobs and People demand, Hellman said. "The healthcare market is one of the largest markets in the country," he said. "This coun- try spends a lot of money on health care." The new cutting system allows Basic American to streamline the manufacturing process (think one touch vs. multi-touch) and improve flexibility, Hellman said. "We can change designs, make different joint constructions and customize products," he said. "We like to have the ability to do things a little differently, and this allows us to do that quickly." Efficiencies aside, it's often the customer service experience of working with a compa- ny that manufactures products in the United How do you fi nd your perfect HME job or the perfect candidate? A niche job board is the answer. Whether you're looking for the perfect candidate, or the perfect job, the HME Career Center is the place to fi nd both. This specifi c online job hub focuses solely on connecting home medical jobs with experienced HME professionals. It's as easy as just signing up. You can post jobs, post resumes, set alerts and more! Connect with your niche at: hmecareercenter.com Vendors GRAHAM FIELD HAS INSTALLED a high-tech fiber optic laser tube cut- ting system at its Fond du Lac, Wis., manufacturing facility. The system allows GF to streamline manufac- turing and improve flexibility. States that wins over providers, Hellman said. "Our customers call us directly," he said. "If there are questions, we're taking these products right off the manufacturing floor to answer their questions." HME 31