Put the right instrument in a surgeon's hands, and it can save a life.
Dennis call has known that for 43 years. Then a young man in Sacrament, a
salesman friend of Call's asked him to do him a favor and sharpen some
surgical instruments. "Before I knew it, I had five employees in my
garage," said Call. "I got into it strictly by mistake."
Mistake or not, it has provided a trade that has propelled him through
ownership of two different businesses that he later sold. Now he's in
Vancouver, operating a home-based business called SIRPCO. The initials
stand for Surgical Instrument Repair Parts Co., and describe his business
plan: not to actually repair the instruments, but to provide instruction
and supplies to the companies that do. Even in the era of giant medical
providers and disposable supplies, there's a niche for surgical instrument
repair.
|
Most of the companies in the field are small and specialized-a dozen employees
make an instrument repair company a big one. Often, instrument repair technicians travel from
clinic to hospital, repairing tools in elaborate mobile workshops. At age 62, with two young sons still at home, Call's tired of the road. That's why in invented his
current niche, providing supplies and training. He built a Web site and developed a catalog, which
he sends to instrument repairers.
"I know what the technician wants," he said. "About everybody who sends for a catalog buys."
Typical products include a silver paste used for repairing needle-holder inserts. "That's $44 right
there," he says, pointing to a little jar full of the stuff, enough to do 300 needle-holders.
"We have a whole assortment of specialized screws," he added. He makes them himself. On the high
tech end, he makes a insulation tester that checks electrical laparoscopic instruments to ensure a
patient won't get shocked or burned. All are his own design.
|
His latest venture is offering training to instrument repairers. He's set up a modular curriculum;
students can come for a week or a day of personalized instruction. Tuition runs $350 for a session,
with the average student racking up about a $l,000 bill.
He teaches in his workshop, where there is time for lots of hands-on practice. In one session, for
example, "We sharpen the little tiny instruments that go inside the eye" during cataract surgery,
said Call.
For the future, he hopes the business will grow, but only modestly. He doesn't want the hassles of a
larger enterprise. "I hade my airplane, I had my Mercedes and the big bucks," Call said. "What a
mistake. |