Binson’s turns 70 

CENTER LINE, Mich. – Binson’s Medical Equipment and Supplies, which in July will celebrate its 70th anniversary, has grown from a small neighborhood pharmacy selling prescriptions, greeting cards and cigarettes to one of the largest family owned HME providers in the country, but at its roots, it remains a “people business.” 

And being a people business means embracing retail, a big source of the provider’s success, says CEO Nick Binson. 

“You have to be willing to carry a broad spectrum of products and you’ve got to have stock for the customers who want to come see the products,” he said. “A lot of what we sell is not user-friendly. If there’s questions about how it fits or how do you use it, having retail outlets is valuable. Half the customers don’t need to do that, but the other half need a space to come try it out and somebody to talk to. This is a people business.” 

In seven decades, Binson’s has grown to include 16 locations in Michigan, three in Indiana and one in Florida – with a robust national mail-order program. It offers orthotics and prosthetics, custom seating and mobility, full line respiratory, incontinence and diabetes supplies, DME, hearing aids and nutritional products. 

“My grandfather was a pharmacist and bought a pharmacy in Center Line in 1953,” said Binson. “My dad (Jim Binson) recognized an opportunity for medical equipment sales, not just from the store but also delivering to the home. He took it from the pharmacy to where it sits now, with several states and hundreds of employees.” 

With such a long history in Michigan, the Binson’s name is a staple in the community, among not just the provider’s hospital partners and customers, but also the broader community. It’s not unusual to find Binson’s and its employees participating in community events to raise funds and awareness.  

“That’s important to us because those people support us, so we support them,” said Binson. “They do as much for us as we do for them.” 

Binson’s No. 1 priority for the future is investing in its people, who will be celebrated at an event in September at the Detroit Zoo. 

“We’ve had some good people and that’s gotten us to where we are today,” Binson said. “The family drives the ship and sets the (agenda), and the employees do the work, day to day. They’ve carried the weight of this organization for the last 70 years.”