This report originally appeared in the December 2009 issue of DOTmed Business News

Manufacturers moonlighting outside of their initial field of expertise have long done so to extend the reach of their brands and add to the bottom line with products that naturally branch from their core offerings. From the globally dominating conglomerates whose products are household names, to lesser-known domestically marketed developers, diversifying products is a widely practiced marketing strategy for companies aiming to penetrate new industries and increase profitability. In the medical field, this can be particularly rewarding as innovators work together toward technological advancements in health care. However, it can also lead to bizarre pairings in the minds of clients and consumers - who may fail to realize, for example, the same company manufacturing beds for a local hospital also has, among other head-turning products, a patent on barbecue grill covers and beanbags.

The health care industry has provided a home for some of the world's best-known multinational technology and service providers. Branding machines such as American conglomerate General Electric, Dutch electronics company Phillips, German engineering conglomerate Siemens, and Japanese electronics specialists at Toshiba and Hitachi serve as prime models of successful cross-market penetration. Their contributions to medicine are matched in fields including aviation, entertainment and locomotive construction, among numerous other industries.

These companies and their wide-ranging innovations in medicine and divergent markets do not stand alone: upholsterers and hospital bed makers at Casco Manufacturing Solutions, medical equipment engineers at Saturn Engineering, software developers at Sopheon, and orthopedic and prosthetic developers at Hanger Inc. are also part of a growing group of companies discovering the benefits of manufacturing outside of the medical marketplace.

Beds of Foam and Beds of Charcoal

Domestically, Casco Manufacturing Solutions, Inc, specializes in upholstered products. The company has made a name for itself in the medical field as an original equipment manufacturer, and is known throughout the medical community as a supplier of hospital beds, mattresses, mattress covers, cushions, ergonomic seat and back pads and examination table pads.

The Ohio-based business prides itself on operating with a small staff of 55, boasting on its web site of its tightly controlled operation, "(We are) a small business, woman-owned, contract manufacturer specializing in the custom design and production of high-quality, sewn, sealed and upholstered products." However, the modest business model doesn't stop the U.S. team from innovating designs in health care to rival larger competitors. Casco in fact, holds patents on health care solutions that developers hope will one day flourish in the marketplace. These include fluid resistant removable mattress covers with a zipper flap design, which can also be used on stretchers, and the tools and process used to make the flap. "We have several new mattress covers and mattresses," said Gary Hill, sales manager in the health care division. "We're moving into air products for the first time and we're also introducing a mattress that is divided into three parts - head, body, and a foot and leg section. Each of the sections can be upgraded dependent upon a patient's needs. We wanted to create a nice entry-level foam mattress that could be used by a facility without adding items they didn't need. We have inserts where memory foam with a little gel can be added to it depending on the situation, meaning a hospital can save money by using exactly what they need."

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