Selling Support

For home medical equipment providers interested in starting or expanding a beds and support surfaces business, there's good news. The market is strong and growing, and well worth the investment, according to industry experts.

At the same time, providers should not enter the beds and support surfaces market lightly. Experts caution providers to be prepared to do their homework — on the products, on strategic marketing and on the customers.

Fiscal Growth…

According to a 2001 report from market research firm Frost & Sullivan, the market for specialty beds and support surfaces for wound care will increase almost threefold by 2008, from $935.5 million in 2001 to $2.09 billion in 2008. Beds and support surfaces manufacturers are well aware of these numbers.

Experts point to several factors contributing to market — and industry — growth, including an aging population, increased life expectancy, and baby boomers with money to spend.

“The [U.S.] society is clearly an aging society. Additionally, people are living longer than in years past. For example, the projected growth of the over-80 [year-old] population is estimated to double from 7 million to 14 million by 2030; the over-100 population will grow from 30,000 to 700,000 — they're staggering numbers. The entire HME industry will see growth as a result,” says Abbey Daniels, chief executive officer for SenTech Medical Systems, which manufactures a range of alternating pressure, low air loss, lateral rotation and bariatric support surfaces.

“The market is growing. The baby boomers are contributing to this,” says Sandy Thomas, national sales director for Flex-a-Bed, which manufactures high-end, adjustable beds. “Eighty percent of our beds are sold to people age 50 and over — not that 50 is old. Many of those customers don't even need the bed medically, but they have more leisure time — and they have the money to buy this type of bed.”

…And Physical Growth

“Sixty percent of the U.S. population is overweight, and morbid obesity consumes about 12 percent of the health care budget,” says Duwayne Kramer, president of Leisure-Lift, a company that has manufactured a bariatric bed since the early 1980s. Leisure-Lift makes three bariatric beds, two of which — a 600-pound weight capacity and an 800-pound capacity — are for the home care market.