Watts sisters take over Adaptive Medical Concepts
By Elizabeth Deprey
Updated Tue September 25, 2012
LIMA, Ohio - Neither Laurie Watt-Youngpeter nor Jennifer Watt-Redd planned to get into the HME business, but they're now hooked.
Their father founded Adaptive Medical Concepts here in 1991; after working with him for nearly two decades, the sisters purchased the business earlier this year.
“We know the business,” said Watt-Youngpeter. “We thought it was the right thing to do.”
The sisters' strengths complement each other: Watt-Youngpeter works with customers and Watt-Redd keeps the books.
Watt-Youngpeter says the level of trust between sisters simplifies running the business.
“It's easier to talk to family about money and stuff like that,” said Watt-Youngpeter. “We're both on the same page.”
Still, they are sisters.
“We do argue—we're siblings,” said Watt-Redd. “But for the most part, we mesh pretty well together.”
Although Advanced Medical Concepts isn't located in a competitive bidding area, the sisters plan to keep a strong retail division on top of their Medicare and private insurance business.
“We try to offer pretty much everything customers need,” said Watt-Youngpeter.
Watt-Redd says that strategy, in addition to being the only locally-owned HME company in the area, keeps customers coming back.
“They know us by name and they know we're discreet,” said Watt-Redd. “That helps them be more comfortable asking for products like diapers. We keep the embarrassment factor down.”
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