Norland is enlarging its U.S. organization, following the bone densitometer company's acquisition last year by Novatech Management (SCAN 5/23/90). Novatech is a New York health-care investment company partially owned by Albert S. Waxman, founder and former chairman of Diasonics. Waxman is chairman of Norland, which is based in Fort Atkinson, WI.
The expansion of Norland's operations falls under the supervision of John I. Mankowich, president and CEO. Mankowich joined the firm last September. He was previously vice president of worldwide sales and service for ultrasound vendor Interspec. Mankowich hired Tom Regan, another ex-Interspec employee, as vice president of sales last month. Regan had been director of sales at the ultrasound company.
Norland's vice president of marketing arrived through a connection to the chairman. Joel Blank, a former Diasonics vice president, initially served as a consultant to Waxman after the Norland acquisition, Mankowich said.
Regan will be in charge of an expanded U.S. sales effort. Norland hired three sales representatives along with the vice president last month and is in the process of bringing on a fourth. The company will sell its dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) systems primarily through direct sales representatives, although it will maintain a few select dealers, he said.
U.S. sales of DEXA systems are picking up as more Blue Shield and Blue Cross organizations begin to reimburse densitometry exams, Mankowich said.
"Forty percent to 50% of the Blues are currently reimbursing," he said. "In California, they are reimbursing for baseline examinations." Baseline exams are given women during menopause in order to help gauge changes in bone mineral density with postmenopausal screening.
Medicare does not reimburse DEXA exams.
Most of Norland's U.S. sales are to rheumatologists, endocrinologists and ob/gyns. While radiologists appear interested in the systems, they seem to be holding off acquisitions until the reimbursement issue is more clearly settled, he said.
Although DEXA competitor Hologic has indicated that international sales of densitometers are sagging (SCAN 2/13/91), Norland has experienced continued growth of sales in Europe and other markets, Mankowich said.
Picker International sells Norland densitometers in Germany. A group of distributors handles other European national markets. Norland has a European subsidiary, Norland Scientific Instruments, based in the Netherlands. NSI will move from its headquarters in Weesp to a larger facility in Baarne within the next month, he said.
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