Medical Equipment & Supplies Manufacturing Industry Overview

Excerpt from Medical Equipment & Supplies Manufacturing Report

The US medical equipment and supplies manufacturing industry includes about 11,000 companies with combined annual revenue of about $125 billion. Major companies include Baxter International, Boston Scientific, Johnson & Johnson, and Medtronic. The industry is concentrated: the 50 largest companies account for about 60 percent of revenue.

Competitive Landscape

Demand is driven by population demographics and advances in medical knowledge and technology. The profitability of individual companies depends on the ability to develop superior products. Large companies have economies of scale in manufacturing and R&D. Small companies can compete successfully by specializing in a particular market segment, or through technical innovation.

Products, Operations & Technology

Major products include surgical and medical instruments (about 30 percent of industry revenue), such as syringes, hypodermic needles, and catheters, and surgical appliances and supplies (about 25 percent), such as sutures, surgical dressings, and orthopedic devices. Other sources of revenue include lab equipment and furniture (centrifuges, scales, operating tables, hospital beds); ophthalmic goods (prescription glasses, contact lenses); diagnostic and anesthetic equipment; and dental equipment and supplies.