Film packaging giant Inteplast Group Ltd. is raising its profile in the medical market by forming a new business unit.
Inteplast Healthcare consolidates several subsidiaries that provide medical disposables ranging from patient utensils to biohazard waste bags. Inteplast Group is betting the new unit will attract customers who could exploit the sourcing and procurement synergies the new unit could provide.
Core to the new business unit is Medegen Medical Products, acquired this past summer from Medical Action Industries Inc. of Brentwood, N.Y. Inteplast Group claims Medegen Medical is the largest U.S. producer of injection molded plastic patient bedside items such as urinals, pitchers, emesis basins and bedpans. It also manufactures sharps containers and graduated measures.
Other parts of Inteplast Healthcare are Minigrip zipper and specialty medical bags, and Integrated Bagging Systems division and Interplast/Pitt Plastics, which together produce a range of bags, including can liners and laundry bags.
Inteplast Group, based in Livingston, N.J., claimed in a Jan. 6 news release that its new unit will offer “the broadest selection of patient bedside plastics, measurement and collection, and waste containment products in the marketplace.”
Inteplast Healthcare will be led by Charles Kelly, former president of patient care products at Medical Action and recently named president of Medegen Medical. Bennett Hellming, former general manager of Minigrip Commercial, is the new vice president of sales for Medegen Medical.
“Our experienced nationwide sales force, extensive network of distributors, and relationships with major healthcare group purchasing organizations give us a strong foundation upon which to grow,” explained Inteplast Group President John Young in a news release.
“We are developing new products, adding to our existing product line, and look forward to offering broader private label manufacturing as well,” added Kelly.
Inteplast Group ranked third in Plastics News' recent survey of North American film and sheet producers with estimated sales of $2.2 billion in 2013. Its other products include corrugated plastic board, cleaning disposables, foamed PVC sheet, plastic lumber and plastic concentrates.