AccuMED Technologies Inc. turned a complaint – one that could have killed a key account – into an opportunity. By doing so, they created a unique product – a material that allows the skin to breath – that would become the driver of its business.
Partners Thomas Blaszczykiewicz, Joseph DiMaria and David Holfoth, founded the company in 1994 as a low-tech cut-and-sew operation. They would acquire the components and put them together according to customers’ specs. Jobs included Velcro watchbands early on but eventually evolved to sleep apnea gear that kept an oxygen mask snugly in place while the wearer was asleep.
When patients complained the head gear strapping irritated their skin, AccuMED risked losing a big account unless a replacement material was found. The partners needed a product that had it all: stretch, recovery and ability to move moisture and hot air away from the skin. When they decided to create it themselves, Breath-O-Prene was born. So was a company with a new research and development department.
Since then, AccuMED has developed a diverse Breath-O-Prene product line with applications in medicine, sports, industry and the military. One kills bacteria, another has a flame retardant and still another administers pain reliever through the skin. Future products will have in-vitro testing capability and head gear that reads body temperature and sends the data via computer to health-care providers.
By Annemarie Franczyk – Business First
