RD Plastics finds success, growth opportunities with Premier
When RD Plastics, a plastic bag packaging supplier, was founded in 1975, the healthcare marketplace in which it operated was different from the one we know today. Early on, the Nashville-based company was able to succeed through partnerships with just a small network of local hospitals. As the company matured, however, continued success necessitated a wider network of clients and an increased number of product lines. In order to expand their business RD Plastics turned to Premier Inc. and other group purchasing organizations to help them succeed.
RD Plastics won its first Premier contract in September 1996. The first Premier contract encompassed all the 110 different product lines RD Plastics offered at the time.
Since it began working with Premier, RD Plastics has grown significantly.
According to company
executive
Jeff Loveless, through the support of Premier, RD Plastics now has annual
sales of over $800,000 with Premier member facilities-a 60 percent increase
from when the company started working with Premier. This increase has
allowed RD Plastics to grow significantly as an organization, including the
addition of several more product lines. Today, RD Plastics has more than 200
million bags in inventory, including biohazard zips, security seals and a
patented Snap-N-Fill zip lock dispensing system.
Although several factors have contributed to the success that RD Plastics enjoys and the wide range of products it is able to manufacture, this success may not have been possible without the assistance of the group purchasing organizations (GPO) they work with, including Premier.
“When we first started we were simply buying products and
immediately reselling them to the hospitals we served,” Loveless said.
"Working with Premier has afforded us the opportunity to invest in our own
future by expanding our manufacturing and warehousing capabilities.”
In addition to having access to a huge network of hospitals across the country, through relationships facilitated by Premier, RD Plastics has also expanded its local network. In 2005, company officials met with staff from Vanderbilt Medical Center’s purchasing and supplier diversity departments. A month after the Vanderbilt meetings, RD Plastics received speaking invitations from the center that not only increased visibility in the local market, but also led to additional business with Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital.
Premier has recognized RD Plastics for excellence in its field. “One of the honors we take great pride in at the company is being highlighted as a top Women-Owned Minority Business at the national Premier Breakthrough Conference,” Loveless said. “The spotlight on Woman-Owned and Minority-Owned businesses at Premier is truly a great tool for a company such as ours and we are very appreciative of that exposure.”
The landscape of the medical supply industry is constantly shifting and changing, however support and assistance from Premier has not wavered and has continued to offer the opportunity for a broader horizon. “It can be a tough business for a small supplier,” Loveless said. “Premier has always been ethical and treated our business with as much care as they would any other, regardless of our size.”
For more information about Premier or to apply for a Premier contract please visit https://premierinc.com/about/suppliers/index.jsp.