SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Virtual Medical Sales, Inc. (VMS) is a third-party service company that buys, sells and refurbishes MRIs, CT scanners, and X-ray equipment. VMS is expert in GE, Siemens, Toshiba, Philips and Hitachi; and dry laser cameras including Kodak and Konica. Clients include free-standing imaging centers, hospitals and medical centers.

"As a service company...we've done numerous turn-key site installations. Not only have we supplied and serviced the equipment, we've also developed a site for the client," said President Michael J. Siano. The company becomes the single point of contact for the client's questions and concerns, he explained.

"The thing that is key to our company is--within an industry that is so structured by the OEMs--we have flexibility," Siano stressed. "We can work with a customer on a time-and-materials basis, we can work with them on a one-time basis to do a cold head replacement, to do a deinstallation or installation, or just to do an upgrade of their equipment. That makes us unique."

Founded in 2000, VMS has a staff of 11 with an OEM-trained service team averaging 15 years' experience. "Probably our biggest investment besides our testing center, is our people," Siano added. "We have the best engineers that I know of in our area. When we recruit for other areas we will stay with that standard because that works for us." (The company staffs projects nationwide.)

The testing facility is the other major asset for VMS, allowing them to do the difficult cold head work on MRIs. "We can do electronic upgrades for MRI here; take their magnet, keep it cold, restage the equipment, hook everything up, make sure that it works," said VP Tim Wright. "When you gut on site, it's a lot faster, simpler and more straight forward. It gives the customer an opportunity to see their system work prior to installation." Servicing requires that the magnet and table are preserved while all electronics and the operator's work station are upgraded. "Normally you can only get this from the OEMs. They have the resources. This allows us to do that and give the customer a much more competitive price," Wright said.

VMS taps DOTmed to support its business activities. "I find DOTmed very functional and buy a lot through auction and list a lot of items," Wright said. "We are a small industry and sometimes there are people out there that you really don't want to deal with. DOTmed does an excellent job of weeding those people out. With people of integrity you'll get your check, they'll get the product and everybody will be happy."

As far as advice to others in this competitive industry, Siano said, "Be 'parts smart.' To be in the service business you've got to know how to find parts that are reliable and affordable. That's how we're able to compete against the OEMs. It's a very important part of the business. Developing long-term relationships with companies that are reliable will always make you come out on top."

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