Medical Products News

“This investment is intended to strengthen our regional distribution capabilities in a very important geographical service area,” said David Myers, vice president of sales and marketing for Seneca Medical.

Shelby Warehousing provides public warehousing and third party logistics services for customers in multiple market segments. The company supports customers with an 80,000 square foot warehouse and office facility in central/southeast Indiana. Shelby Warehousing will continue to operate as a third party logistics provider and service existing customers, and the company will expand its business to include manufacturers of medical-surgical products, leveraging Seneca Medical’s excellent relationship base in this industry.

Through this acquisition, Seneca Medical gains additional experienced and dedicated employees and a facility that is ideally situated to support the expansion of Seneca Medical’s core operations. Plus the purchase demonstrates the company’s commitment to the community, Myers said.

“We made a conscious decision to buy to show that we intend to stay in this market. During our planning process and customer interviews, a number of contacts highlighted the importance for Seneca Medical to demonstrate our commitment to the region. Healthcare is really a regional marketplace, so investing in the region was a fairly simple decision,” he said.

By mid-year, Seneca Medical plans to utilize part of the facility for its core medical surgical distribution business and expand with business growth. Due to previous investments in additional sales and marketing personnel, Seneca Medical’s customer base has grown in the past two years in Indiana, southwest Ohio, and northern Kentucky; Seneca Medical’s acquisition of Shelby Warehousing simply solidifies the company’s commitment to serving healthcare customers in this growth market. As customers continue to migrate to Seneca Medical’s model of distribution services, it is anticipated that the company’s work force will increase in both Shelbyville and its homebase in Tiffin, Ohio, to support its growth.

The company hopes to employ five to 10 new workers in Shelbyville by the end of 2005 with the potential eventually to have 40 to 50 workers at the facility, Myers said.

Dan Theobald, executive director of the Shelby County Development Corp., a private economic development group in the county where Shelbyville is located, helped Seneca Medical locate the warehouse facility. The SCDC is a member of The Indy Partnership, a regional economic development organization that markets the Indianapolis Region.

Seneca Medical is a full service independent, privately owned and operated regional provider of medical/surgical supplies, medical, equipment and complementary support services. Founded in 1990, Seneca Medical has consistently expanded through its dedication to a customer service-focused distribution model. Through a stock ownership plan launched in 1998, the company’s more than 280 current and retired employees own 90 percent of Seneca Medical’s stock. This employee-driven participation generates unparalleled “personalized” distribution services to Seneca’s customers.

Seneca Medical, headquartered in Tiffin, Ohio, provides a wide spectrum of product distribution and support services to the health care continuum throughout Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee, West Virginia and surrounding states. From its three distribution facilities, in Tiffin, Ohio, Ripley, W.Va. and Knoxville, Tenn., Seneca Medical currently serves hospitals, surgery centers, physician offices, long-term care facilities, governmental health departments, sports medicine and industrial health services customers.

Seneca Medical has well established distribution relationships with more than 650 high-quality market-leading business partners who manufacture the following range of product groups:
•Medical Surgical Supplies
•Medical and Diagnostic Equipment
•Pharmaceuticals
•OTC Products
•Laboratory Supplies
•Paper Products
•Office Furniture
•Sports Medicine Supplies and Equipment (available for nationwide distribution)
•And More

If more information is desired about Seneca Medical Inc., please reference our Web site at www.senecamedical.com.

Contacts:
Seneca Medical Inc. – David Myers, Vice President, Sales and Marketing (419) 447-0222 www.senecamedical.com

The Indy Partnership – John Walker, Communications/Media Manager (317) 464-5413 www.indypartnership.com