By Nathan Peck | MiBiz
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Expanding into new markets such as medical education is creating new opportunities for Medical Accessories & Research Co., said CEO Todd Clevenger. PHOTO: NATHAN PECK

ZEELAND — The scene is an odd cross between Dr. Frankenstein’s lab and a modern manufacturing plant as Todd Clevenger walks around the shop floor of Medical Accessories & Research Co.

Set out on a table in front of the CEO are the plasticized replicas of the human lower back, skull, arms, and a flap of skin. The piece of the company’s TruSkin, a synthetic skin product, looks and feels eerily like the real thing, cold and clammy to the touch. But when the first suturing experience that many medical students get is on a patient in a clinic, the synthetic stuff may make it a little easier on med students and patients alike — making the case for expanding the use of medical simulations, said Clevenger.

Beyond training novice medical professionals, MARC has developed a simulation of the nose and sinus cavities, complete with the fragile bones contained within, for training surgeons for balloon sinoplasty procedures, as well as a simulation of the wrist for carpal tunnel treatments under development.

“We are looking at expanding into the education market,” Clevenger told MiBiz. “The more we expand, the more demand we’re seeing.”

The Zeeland-based manufacturer has been supplying demonstration pieces, carrying cases, and anatomical models to the medical device industry since 1989. The company has recently branched into making synthetic body parts, hence the collection of parts spread out in front of Clevenger. MARC has built a reputation for quality, building strong relationships with many of the biggest names in the medical device industry: Zimmer, Stryker and Johnson & Johnson. Today, the company is growing, having weathered the recession, and is looking to prime the pump to help fund R&D to expand its offerings for medical education.

“The use of simulations is still in its infancy, but we see good opportunities for growth,” he said.

Investing in capabilities

Behind closed doors in the plant’s R&D department, a diverse team of artists, special effects designers and former automotive engineers work to turn plastics into lifelike simulations for physicians and the medical device industry alike. The R&D team works to mimic the properties of flesh, bone and fluids in the body, sometimes working to dissect the cadavers they hope to replace.

“Making a synthetic spine isn’t all that different than making a car interior,” Clevenger said.

The company has worked to become a one-stop shop for the medical device industry, producing custom trainers when needed, and looking to grow its sales volume through creating sales channels to medical education institutions around the globe. That always hasn’t been the case, and Clevenger has worked to bring in talent, both in terms of design and operational experience to expand the 35-employee company’s capabilities, since taking over as CEO from his father Chuck Clevenger.

“We’ve worked to bring in lean practices, which is difficult with the custom work we do,” he said. “We have increased our ability to manage projects, now our customers love us.”

New sales and training opportunities

The firm is targeting the sales force of major medical device companies, as well as medical school training for its new synthetic skin and bone simulations. The simulations look, feel and act real, and — in the case of the synthetic bone — bleeds.

Say a device company has a new artificial knee that it is bringing to market. In order to demonstrate the device to an orthopedic surgeon, traditionally a salesperson can bring the knee attached to a bone replica to show how the device operates. But to see how the device may be easier to use in surgery, a cadaver would be used. Numerous ethical guidelines are in place governing the use of cadavers, which make it impractical sometimes to meet one-on-one with a surgeon.

“This can take the place of cadavers in some cases. Many times these sales calls would involve renting a cadaver lab or flying in a surgeon to learn about the procedure,” Clevenger said. “It is very expensive and very controlled for the global sales staff.”

This way, Clevenger points out, sales staff can walk into a physician’s office, demonstrate the procedure on a simulation and let the physician try the same procedure. Simulations also provide access for training surgeons around the world without having to travel to the U.S.

“As you look globally, there are cultural prohibitions on the use of cadavers in some areas of the world,” Clevenger said. “We see them as growth opportunities. It is now about getting access to those educational markets.”

Staying nimble and responsive

As the company looks to grow its sales, it is leaning on its existing relationships within the leaders of the medical device industry. If they are working on a display piece highlighting replacement joints for a customer, they are also working to get in touch with the sales force that will be working with surgeons in the field.

“Sometimes it is as simple as asking for the work. Our biggest shift has been in moving to be more proactive versus reactionary,” he said.