About J&M Trading

Trust. Quality. Leadership. Integrity. Respect. Dedication. Innovation. To some businesspeople, these words conjure up thoughts of corporate-handbook jargon, which sounds great on paper but is never fully practiced. However, to the professionals at Goodlettsville, Tenn.-based J&M Trading, these terms signify the principles that guide their business practice. In fact, to the third-party, diagnostic-imaging replacement-parts vendor, these virtues are not only key elements of their corporate philosophy; they’re also lived out daily. After all, according to company executives, J&M Trading seeks to provide a higher standard of service.

History of Innovation
Established in 1991, J&M Trading was created with the bottom line in mind. A perfect alternative for cash-strapped imaging facilities and hospitals, J&M sells only the highest quality parts at a fraction of original equipment manufacturers’ (OEMs) costs. And, according to J&M Trading Vice President Mary Lampley, it’s this commitment to quality and value that has led to her company’s undisputed success. “Our goal is to satisfy the demand for quality tested parts, and to also offer a more economical choice than that of the traditional OEM or larger third-party vendor,” she says. Fortunately, “our employees’ drive and commitment to excellence makes all of this possible.”

For instance, consider J&M’s founder and owner, Dave Dilick. An X-ray tube specialist with broad experience in the radiography and third-party aftermarket industries, Dilick observed an unfavorable trend in his field: the lack of quality thirdparty market vendors. However, instead of complaining about this problem or simply washing his hands of any involvement in it, he sought to develop a solution. Fortunately, he had proficiency – and ambition – on his side.

Highly regarded as an expert in high voltage and in extending the life of X-ray tubes, Dilick had the patents to prove it. In addition, he also possessed an innate business sense, which was instrumental in taking J&M to the next level. After conducting extensive market research, Dilick created a business plan that focused on selling the highest-quality parts and providing 24/7 customer service. At last, J&M Trading was born.

Eighteen years later, Dilick’s vision has fully materialized. Now enjoying the fruits of his labor, he has watched J&M Trading grow from a small, family-based business into one of the leading third-party vendors for replacement diagnostic-imaging parts. Featuring equipment from some of the industry’s biggest names, including GE Healthcare, Varian Medical Systems, Philips, Siemens, Dunlee, and many others, J&M sells parts for approximately 60-percent to 85-percent less than OEMs. What’s more, not only do imaging facilities and hospitals praise J&M’s ability to keep their prices low, they also extol the company’s stellar customer-service policies.

However, instead of growing complacent with his company’s favorable market position and seeking to maintain the status quo, Dilick is committed to achieving even greater success. After all, he acknowledges, “If we don’t keep our customers happy, someone else will.”

Lampley agrees. “J&M Trading is involved in a growing industry and is aware of the need to grow with it,” she says. “Our alliances with other brokers, hospitals and service engineers allow us to obtain the knowledge needed to aggressively attack this market while keeping with our desire to service our customer and minimize pricing. We’re a single-source solution for high-quality OEM replacement parts.” Although she admits that every day brings new opportunities and challenges, she’s certain that J&M’s up to the task.

Stellar Customer Service
Considering that providing quality customer service is J&M’s No. 1 priority, it’s no surprise that the company employs only the most knowledgeable sales staff. For instance, not only are the salespeople extremely familiar with the items being sold, they’re also able to locate any parts that aren’t listed in their computerized inventory. This, Lampley points out, is a huge competitive advantage.

“We’re able to research any available information, such as part number, description, even a picture, and find it on one of the many parts systems we have in our warehouse,” she says. “We always strive to go above and beyond in order to achieve and maintain a long-term business relationship with our customers.” In addition, J&M stocks more than 85 percent of the parts they sell, Lampley says. However, if J&M doesn’t posses a certain part that a customer requests, a company representative will help the client locate it elsewhere.

Another way that J&M caters to customers is by offering them monthly discounts and incentives. The company’s rationale is that if they continue to provide clients with competitive pricing, then customers will continue to view them as the supplier of choice. In other words, it’s a win-win solution. Moreover, Lampley asserts, “Integrity, hard work and reputation have assisted J&M in growing all of these years. We would not be as successful as we are without the developed business relationships that we’ve grown and maintained.”

As further testament to J&M’s sterling reputation in the industry, the company has achieved International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001:2000 certification. No small feat, this accreditation shows clients that J&M follows standardized business practices and regularly monitors processes to ensure they’re as efficient as possible. Although this certification isn’t mandatory, it speaks volumes about a company’s commitment to excellence, according to Lampley.

Future Goals
Clearly, it’s a good time to be an associate of J&M Trading. Sales are booming; customers are happy; and the business is growing – literally. In fact, J&M recently added a large amount of quality, tested parts to their original 35,000 square feet of inventory. However, keeping in line with their corporate values of quality and leadership, J&M still has more innovation on the horizon.

Moving forward, the company aspires to delve into new processes, particularly with X-ray tubes. Furthermore, Lampley says, “With manufacturing and distribution costs for CT tubes in the maximum low tens of thousands of dollars, and selling prices and maximumsat around [$250,000], the very idea of resurrection and repair of such products is extremely useful. Moreover, our resurrected tubes perform far better than the normal-harvested used tubes from cannibalized systems – at similar pricing. But, we intend to make them better.”

In addition, J&M also hopes to expand the international segment of their business, where “offshore cost structures require the availability of inexpensive substitutes,” Lampley says. Lastly, the company plans to break into the CT and MRI compressor and chiller sales markets. Previously limited to only digital X-ray chiller and compressor sales, this endeavor signifies a new venture for J&M.

Something that will never change at J&M, however, is their commitment to superior customer service and quality. “We continue to have brokers inquire about the availability of acquisitions, but our focus remains on our customers,” Lampley says. “We believe that as a small firm – without external corporate control – we can serve more reliably and provide the innovation needed to serve.”