Recently, I received an email from T. Chad Rickey, a reader from Peoria, Ill. Along with other comments and questions, Rickey wrote in his email, “I am contemplating a career move into medical imaging as a dealer of new and used equipment. Could you share your outlook for the industry as a whole for the next five years? Is it a growing industry in the healthcare field? What opinions could you offer for brokering used equipment nationally and internationally?”

I found Rickey’s email incredibly timely, as we had just finished analyzing the results of our first-ever salary survey in our cover story “Show Us the Money!“. Overwhelmingly, respondents are very satisfied with their jobs, compensation, and workload, and they would definitely recommend the profession to others. As if this resounding endorsement for a career in medical imaging weren’t enough, I thought I would add my two cents.

First, yes, the imaging field is growing like wildfire. Every issue’s “News Watch” features new technologies within medical imaging, new uses for technologies, and new FDA clearances. The industry is booming, and the new/used equipment niche is a flourishing part of it. Still, a lot of the growth in the equipment-dealership segment is through consolidations, both in the United States and internationally. Over the past decade, we’ve seen the number of actual dealers/distributors shrink in quantity; however, revenue streams have continued to grow. One of the factors to which I attribute these changes is mergers. Another factor, unfortunately, is dealers/distributors going out of business due to an inability to survive in such a competitive market.

On that note, it’s important to remember that the market for stand-alone businesses is incredibly competitive. (That’s great news for the marketplace, however, as it helps to control pricing.) My advice, therefore, would be to move toward specialization in the equipment you choose to deal. For example, some companies specialize in CT and X-ray components only, and others focus specifically on ultrasound. When launching into the field, I suggest researching these specialty dealers/distributors and delving into one of the un- or underserved segments.

I also would recommend looking for partnership opportunities in the field. The marketplace has recently seen OEMs joining forces with dealers/distributors to enable facilities, for example, to upgrade their legacy systems. It’s a win-win for everyone involved, especially the facilities.

In short, the imaging field is still growing, and I expect it to do so for a long time. But only with newcomers?and I mean new technology and new players in the space?can it continue to grow. So welcome to the industry! I’m confident that you’ll successfully find your place within it.


Andi Lucas
Editor