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An old adage claims that "the more things change, the more they stay the same," and Reliance Medical Products bears that out. Although the company sells its top-of-the-line medical equipment in some 80 countries and is an industry leader in technological advances. Fred and Frank Koenigkramer, first-generation sons of German immigrants, formed their company after inventing a clog-free paint sprayer that farmers could use to paint their barns. Inspired by their success, the entrepreneurial brothers went on to obtain two patents for an improved barber's hydraulic chair the Koenigkramers introduced a complete line of barber's chairs under the brand name Reliance. Their innovation was a hydraulic lift, which required only one lever for raising, lowering, revolving, or locking the chair. It was so popular that even the barber on The Andy Griffith Show, Floyd, had a Reliance chair. The company entered the medical market in 1920, when a Missouri osteopath suggested that the brothers build a treatment table. Product line extensions led Reliance into the ophthalmology market, where it developed an entire line of examination and procedures chairs, instrument stands, and examination and surgical stools. Reliance still manufactures these products for ophthalmology, optometry, ENT, dermatology and plastic surgery. In 1988, Reliance Medical Products was purchased by Bern-based Haag-Streit AG. Shortly thereafter, Haag-Streit built a new, 100,000-square-foot facility in Mason, Ohio, to house the manufacturing operations, and a 25,000-square-foot office facility for the marketing departments of both Reliance and its sister companies. A leader in medical equipment
Reliance draws on its vast experience in hydraulics to make an array of ergonomically correct lift and
examination chairs, surgical tables, and delivery systems.
In addition, Reliance which introduces about three new products a year,
makes an array of treatment cabinets, stools, instrument stands, and the office add-ons that enable doctors to furnish their examination rooms with
state-of-the-art equipment.
Equipment that holds its value.
Reliance
products are popular with doctors; in fact, many report that when they retire, they are able to sell the Reliance chairs
they purchased after graduation for more than they paid for them. The company recently conducted a search for the
oldest Reliance chair still in use and the winner was a 1940 model.
A Marriage of Technology and Craftsmanship
A tour of Reliance's factory reveals the secret behind the company's success. The company's some 120 employees meld
art and science to produce superior-quality medical equipment. Reliance technicians ensure the equipment is calibrated
not only to ISO 9001 certification, but also to the standards of EN 46001, the highest quality designation within the
medical specialty field.
The accuracy and precision of Reliance equipment is tracked by about 1,000 gauges. In fact, accuracy is not measured in inches or even fraction of inches, but is calibrated within millionths of an inch. That kind of precision is artfully balanced against the comfort,appearance, and sturdiness of the product. Craftspeople wielding scissors and operating sewing machines to stitch fine upholstery onto solid Baltic birch frames are just as important in the creation of Reliance's showroom-quality furniture as are the firm's technicians. Marrying the best of old-world craftsmanship and information-age technology is what Reliance is all about. Union Based on Shared Values
Since Haag-Streit
purchased Reliance, it has relocated the U.S. operations of several of its other companies to Mason. In addition to
Reliance, Haag-Streit's holdings include Haag-Streit USA, Möller Microsurgery, Clement Clarke, and John Weiss.
Founded in 1858, Haag-Streit manufactures precision instruments for ophthalmology. The Haag-Streit slit lamp, its
flagship product, is widely recognized as one
of the finest slit lamps in the world. The company's other products include applanation tonometers, diagnostic contact
lenses, ophthalmometers,
corneal topographers, and the Octopus projection perimeter. Such technologically advanced products are only the beginning. Like the other Haag-Streit companies,
Reliance, which maintains its own research and development department, intends to continue to grow and prosper by
developing and delivering high-quality products that meet customers' needs.
Reliance will continue to invest in the latest manufacturing technology. In the future, we'll be more computerized and will make more sales on the Web, but our traditions aren't going to change. We'll still be listening to the customer." |
© 2008 Haag-Streit USA, Inc. All Rights Reserved.