In an old mill building in Fall River, Bob Gaw has a collection of medical equipment that encompasses everything from beds and stretchers to surgery, ultrasound and anesthesia equipment – everything you need to outfit about six hospitals, he says.
Gaw is the president and founder of Physicians Resource Network Inc. The company distributes new and reconditioned medical equipment to doctors, hospitals and international dealers on the premise that preowned equipment can help clients operate more profitably.
He’s been in business since the early 1980s, after getting his start as an independent representative for a California-based company in the same field.
That company eventually went bankrupt, but during his time as an employee, Gaw accumulated some equipment through trade-ins. He started selling it, and as he did his collection of equipment grew and so did Physicians Resource’s need for additional space.
“I went from one of the bedrooms in the house, to taking up the garage, to taking up the spare room in the basement,” Gaw said, “and now we’ve got about 25,000 square feet of what many would call used medical equipment that’s no longer of use in many places, but is in use overseas.”
In fact, more than half of Gaw’s customers are based in other countries. He acquires most of his equipment from hospitals across the United States – “it’s pretty much whatever we get our hands on,” he said, and redistributes literally around the world. Equipment has been shipped to Mexico and Barbados, as well as to South American locations. Gaw also has customers in Africa and Southeast Asia.
“What we might not consider useful anymore, they might consider a treasure,” Gaw said, referring to some of his overseas buyers.
Whether the equipment is actually a treasure, is something that Physicians Resource is careful to be upfront about.
“That’s the key to keeping people satisfied,” Gaw said, “being upfront with them from the beginning.”
The company sells its equipment at different levels, which range from patient-ready to as is. The company also works with biomedical engineers who can repair equipment, putting it in working order before it’s sold.
Most of the equipment the company sells also comes with a warranty, “which is rare in this business,” Gaw said, adding that offering them can be expensive.
But Gaw says the warranties pay off in the form of referrals from satisfied customers.
“Our customer is always right, and that’s the mentality I try to transpire to the people here,” he said.
Physicians Resource brings in most of its business through the Internet. The company’s website allows customers to browse inventory by category.
He also brings in business through contacts built up over 30 years.
“I’ve worked with different people in various capacities who 30 years ago may have been low-level salespeople, or something of that nature, who are now CEOs and managers of major corporations,” he said. “The work spreads through the industry. So, I’ve been very fortunate that some of the people I got into the business with have gone on to do different things, and I’ve used those contacts to expand into other areas and some of the overseas areas.”
“That’s why it’s important to treat all the people along the way good because you never know when you might meet up with them again,” Gaw added.
His attention to customer service and willingness to develop relationships seems to have its advantages. Physicians Resource Network has twice been listed as the top-ranked medical dealer in the United States by Dotmed Inc., which bases its rankings off of peer reviews.
And because Gaw is able to keep costs down by housing his company in an older building in Fall River, rather than a more modern industrial building, he can offer reasonable prices, or what he refers to on the company website as “Lizzie Borden Specials.” The specials, Gaw said, are a tribute to his native Fall River.
“We’re chopping our prices to the bone,” Gaw said with a laugh, adding that a little humor can be good for business.
And overall, he says business is strong.
“We’re having a very good year, so we really can’t complain,” Gaw said. •
COMPANY PROFILE
Physicians Resource Network Inc.
Owner: Bob Gaw, president and founder
Type of business: Seller of new and used medical equipment
Location: Fall River
Employees: 7
Year Established: 1983
Annual sales: NA
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