HME Excellence Awards: Reliable lives up to its name

BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. - When a company names itself Reliable Medical Supply, it establishes a standard that it must live up to on a daily basis.

Based on its first place finish in this year's HME Excellence Awards, the provider has not only lived up to its name, but surpassed it.

Although Reliable Medical Supply has been around for 25 years, founder Jeff Hall says the company has only recently reached a point where it truly deserves to win.

“Our managers have seen significant, positive change in our business over the past five years, with double-digit growth and profitability, along with increased community involvement and advocacy,” says Hall, who serves as president and CEO. “We anticipated the changes in our industry and looked outside the box for ways to differentiate ourselves.”

Embracing new technology and specializing in complex mobility and respiratory cases has, indeed, helped Reliable carve a deep niche in the Twin Cities, which Hall calls “a very competitive town.”

Ahead of competitive bidding, Hall orchestrated a gutsy strategic maneuver in 2009 by moving from a 17,000-square-foot facility to a much larger 40,000-square-foot facility. While others, in anticipation of a shrinking HME industry, downscaled their operations, Reliable went in the opposite direction.

“Admittedly, it was scary to do this, but we knew we had great people in the organization and I'm not someone to hope for the best and expect the worst,” he said. “It turned out to be the right thing to do because it has made us more efficient, and gave us elbow room and more space for growth.”

Now with four locations and 122 employees, Reliable recently opened a store in Rochester, Minn., near the famed Mayo Clinic. The timing and location are fortuitous, as Mayo is expanding its operation there and Rochester is a growing community. Reliable is working with Mayo on complex rehab, custom seating and pediatric programs.

The Reliable staff has also ramped up community involvement and advocacy, logging approximately 1,500 hours a year with various groups, including industry groups like AAHomecare, MAMES, AARC and NRRTS. The company also works with the ALS Society, Muscular Dystrophy Association and National MS Society.

“The extent of our involvement is eye opening—really amazing,” Hall says. “Our people are doing everything they can; they really want to be involved. They are showing the dedication and commitment to our audience and our industry.”