Foster City, Calif. Seeking to become the dominant player in the medical supplies distribution industry for home health care, Byram Healthcare Centers beefed up both its management team by hiring two former Apria Healthcare Group executives and its bank account with the boost of a private investment.

Jeremy Jones, former Apria chairman and chief executive officer, is now Byram's chairman. Raymond Noeker, a former Apria vice president, becomes Byram's chief executive officer. To complete the executive restructuring, Byram hired Frank Zarka, another former Apria official, as chief operating officer.

Fox Paine & Company, a private investment firm run by Saul Fox and Dexter Paine, made the undisclosed investment in Byram. Fox formerly was with the leveraged buyout firm of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. Paine was with Kohlberg & Company and partnered with Jones and Noeker in the 1987 management buyout of Homedco.

Lawrence Janes and Peter Phillips, principal shareholders of Byram before the investment, will continue as chief financial officer and senior vice president, respectively.

Paine said the investment positions Byram to be a consolidator in the $4 billion home care medical supplies industry. It specializes in distributing products for diabetes, ostomy, urology/incontinence and wound care to home health agencies and home medical equipment providers nationwide. It also offers order processing, management, distribution and billing of more than 6,000 disposable medical supplies.

"To be successful in the disposable medical supply industry requires specialization and expertise," Jones said. "As cost-reimbursement pressures increase, fewer providers, including nursing agencies and others, define supplies and logistics management as a core competency. This creates more opportunities for Byram to grow."