From comfort zone to growth zone: Quality DME’s strategic southern move

LORTON, Va. – With a new location set to open in Raleigh, N.C., its first in the state, Quality DME is excited to get “out of its comfort zone,” says President Mike Austin. 

The new location, the company’s seventh, is in an area with numerous medical facilities. 

“We’ve historically been Maryland and Virginia, so we're kind of breaking barriers heading south,” said Austin. “We think Raleigh is going to be a really great opportunity for us to serve the community down there, and it has a very similar kind of market as the rest of our locations.” 

Quality DME, a provider of CPAP and resupply, was founded in 2008. Austin and his business partner, Jaeff Lee, took ownership in 2018 and have been growing the company ever since. 

The key to Quality DME’s growth, Austin says: old-school customer service. The company, for example, has its own in-house team of sleep coaches that works to get patients very involved in the process, particularly in the crucial first 90 days. Its compliance rate is around 70% overall, with higher rates in more rural, more Medicare-focused areas. 

“We’re willing to do whatever it takes to get them what they need,” Austin said. “And we really just thrive on being efficient. When a patient comes to us, we want to be able to get in touch with them in less than 24 hours and get geared up to their equipment as soon as possible.” 

While Quality DME still offers in-person setups both in-store and at-home, it has also embraced virtual setups to further expand its footprint and better accommodate the tech-savvy, young population. 

“They are still in their working years, and we really try to serve them,” he said. “Being able to do later and weekend appointments, we’ve found that virtual is a really good resource.” 

With several years of growth under his belt, Austin says Quality DME will continue to expand into new communities with a physical presence. 

“We want to show these areas that we’re local and we want that local feel to it,” he said. “Five years from now, I’d really like to see five more locations and go in whatever direction we see best at the time.”