From Dunkin’ to DME

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – While a national coffee franchise may not seem to have much in common with a regional DME provider, at their core, they’re both multi-unit retail locations, say Dave Kozak, who was recently named chief marketing officer of AZ MediQuip. 

Kozak spent several years as director of marketing for Dunkin’ Brands, where he, along with Mark Belanger, now COO for AZ MediQuip, was responsible for the East Coast company’s westward expansion. 

“There’s a difference without a doubt,” he said. “But more importantly, the more I dug, the more I saw the opportunity, and the opportunity is to grow the business and grow the brand.” 

Kozak spoke with HME News recently about his plans for growing AZ MediQuip and his “deep dive” into DME. 

HME News: Were you at all familiar with DME before starting at AZ MediQuip? 

Dave Kozak: I was familiar from the standpoint of it being a neat space but not from the standpoint of actively selling it and promoting it. Certainly, we’ve all been touched with friends or family in need, which is what drew me into this opportunity with AZ MediQuip. There’s a learning curve to understand how specific products work. The bigger challenge is doing the deep dive of understanding the product’s functions all the way down to settings and the benefits it offers. 

HME: AZ MediQuip recently opened a new location in Goodyear, Ariz., and plans another one in July in Prescott. As you accelerate the company’s growth, what sort of challenges does that pose? 

Kozak: With any expansion, it poses challenges and opportunities. From a training perspective, this business is unique in that you can’t just put someone behind the computer and train them quickly like restaurant training. You want to treat each customer based off their needs. You can’t assume once size fits all.    

HME: What opportunities do you see to grow AZ MediQuip? 

Kozak: When we were bought by Gemini, the whole point was not to remain stagnant. We have to start thinking bigger and bigger, and what is the art of the possible for the brand? HME is a unique space – it’s filled with a lot of smaller local independent brands. There’s really an opportunity to create a national brand and national scale.  

HME: Will AZ MediQuip be rebranding? 

Kozak: Yes, without a doubt. The AZ in MediQuip probably wouldn’t play so well in Florida or Colorado or Texas.