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Bekins Logistics Acquires WindStone Medical Inc.
The Billings company, WindStone Medical Inc., http://www.windstonemedical.com (formerly known as CardioPak) has been acquired by Bekins Logistics, http://www.bekinslogistics.com it was announced today. The acquisition marks the beginning of plans to substantially expand a company that was started in Billings in 1978. "Bekins brings the ability to fulfill our vision to expand three to four fold," said Mike Roberts, WindStone Director of Operations, "Our goal is to be a $125 million company within five years."
Posted by: The Big Sky Business Journal
The anticipated growth will mean a doubling of staff, and tripling its physical plant size to about 100,000 square feet; as well as adding "additional facilities around the country," said Roberts. The expansion and growth is expected to happen in Billings; "Bekins is committed to the Billings area and to the Billings people," said Roberts. They anticipate being in a new facility in about six months.
According to Greg Deman, President and CEO of Bekins Logistics, Bekins will continue to operate the company as WindStone Medical Packaging, Inc., with the same staff and management.
According to Roberts, purchasing WindStone Medical Inc. is something of a change in direction — albeit a very compatible change — for Bekins, a "premier" third party logistics provider based in Sioux City, Iowa.
According to Bekins President Deman, the business purchase links the core competencies of the two companies. In its twenty-five year history, WindStone Medical has established long-standing relationships with medical/surgical suppliers and expertise in packaging, sterilization, and technical support. Founded in 1891, Bekins brings a network of distribution facilities, real time tracking and web site visibility to provide perfect order fulfillment and lot tractability.
Said Deman, "This acquisition is a perfect match for Bekins. As we raise the bar on our packaging capabilities to include the rigid standards required for sterile custom surgical packs, we will also strengthen the national distribution potential for WindStone Medical. Bekins will complement the production of sterile surgical packs with state of the art technology that will provide total supply chain visibility and rapid response to customer demand."
WindStone began looking five months ago, said Roberts, for a buyer with the financial capabilities to support the growth they knew would happen when WindStone became qualified as a vendor to two GPOs (Group Purchasing Organizations) — Novation and Premier. Together the GPOs serve 4800 hospitals, a dramatic expansion of WindStone’s marketing potential.
WindStone Medical is a rather unique company; "there are probably only ten quality vendors who do what we do," explained Roberts. "We assemble sterilized, surgical packs which are kits of medical supplies used in operating rooms. Each kit is customized to each hospital and to each procedure."
Founded by Jerry Dernbach in 1978, the company has grown to become a national provider of specialty surgical packs for every type of surgery including open heart, arthroscopy, general surgery, labor and delivery, pediatric, ophthalmic, anesthesia, radiology and emergency procedures. WindStone Medical assembles customized trays supporting national and customer preferred branded products according to customer specification. WindStone Surgical Packs are packaged and sterilized on-site, at 1602 4th Avenue North in Billings, to provide customers with procedure-ready surgical products from over 1300 medical manufacturers. Unique on-line purchasing options provide the customers with ultimate control in order placement, pack management and total detailed information access including component and usage purchase history.
The company sells their "kits" to 90-100 hospitals all over the U.S., but most especially to area hospitals. In fact, said Roberts, WindStone Medical owes much to the support they have received from Billings Deaconess Clinic; "It is that local support that is taking us to the next level." Competing against companies that are based in Los Angeles, Chicago and Florida with revenues in excess of $500 million, "It is absolutely fantastic for a medical company to do this here," enthused Roberts. Maintaining and improving the level of service to current customers is a high priority for WindStone, said Roberts.
Despite perceptions about distances from markets, Montana is actually a very good location for an exporter of products from the state, explained Roberts, who has an extensive background in the transportation industry. Montana is basically a consumer state, to which transporters are bringing products. The transportation companies need loads to haul back. So, while in bound transportation costs are about average, outbound loads are "extremely competitive," said Roberts, "thus we have an advantage in serving customers on the east coast."
Bekins Logistics shares a common history with Bekins Van Lines when four brothers started a small Sioux City-based company to move household goods. Now a separate entity, Bekins Logistics is a growing company, expanding into a broad base of facilities across North America.
Additional information about WindStone Medical is available from Sam Finkelstein or Mike Roberts at (406) 259-6387 or corporate web site http://www.windstonemedical.com
More information about Bekins Logistics can be found on their web site at http://www.bekinslogistics.com or by calling the corporate headquarters Bekins Business Development Team–Greg Deman, Shannon Harper, Phil Krone or Kim Spellman– at (712) 258-5588.
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