Medgluv Seals Deal as Premier Supplier

The Miami Herald
November 06, 2002

By John Dorschner

Medgluv, a tiny, year-old Pompano Beach company, has landed what could be a lucrative contract with Premier, the multi-billion-dollar network that arranges supplies for the nation's nonprofit hospitals.

The deal, announced Tuesday, makes the six-employee Medgluv, one of 10 Premier suppliers in the nation for the $100 million annual market in examination gloves.

''This is a big opportunity for us,'' said Jerry Leong, Medgluv's chief executive. He pointed to the Memorial Healthcare System, with facilities throughout South Broward, which spends $400,000 annually on the latex gloves.

Premier has come under criticism for allowing a few major suppliers to dominate the massive hospital-supply market and has lately been working to expand its network to include more minorities. Leong is Malaysian, and the gloves are manufactured at a family plant in Malaysia.

Medgluv could sell nationwide under its 18-month arrangement with Premier, but because of distribution expense, the supply organization has suggested that the young firm concentrate on the Southeast. Leong said he has contracted with 20 independent sales representatives to market Medgluv to hospitals.

''They were judged and reviewed by a panel of hospital staff people,'' said Ken Inchausti, Premier spokesman, ``and they were selected as one of the 10 most qualified in the United States.''

Medgluv will use Pharmed, the Miami medical supply company, to distribute the gloves.