Medical Equipment & Supplies Manufacturing Industry Profile

Companies in this industry manufacture medical equipment and supplies, including surgical and medical instruments, dental equipment, and surgical appliances. Major companies include Baxter International, Boston Scientific, Johnson & Johnson, and Stryker (all based in the US), as well as B Braun (Germany), EssilorLuxottica (France), Smith & Nephew (UK), and Terumo (Japan).

Global revenue for makers of medical equipment and supplies is about $350 billion. Major markets include the US, Japan, Germany, France, the UK, Italy, and China.

The US medical equipment and supplies manufacturing industry includes about 10,500 establishments (single-location companies and units of multi-location companies) with combined annual revenue of about $92 billion.

The industry does not include manufacturing of x-ray or electromedical equipment and devices, such as ultrasound equipment, pacemakers, and electrocardiographs, which is covered in a separate industry profile.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

As pressure to lower health care costs grows, companies are challenged to create more effective medical equipment while controlling price increases. Consolidation is widespread as larger companies look for economies of scale in manufacturing and R&D. Small companies can compete successfully by specializing in a particular market segment, or through technical innovation. The US industry is concentrated: the 50 largest companies account for about 60% of revenue.

Imports of medical equipment and supplies account for about 39% of the US market; exports represent about 36% of US production. Leading sources of imports include Mexico, China, and Ireland. The ...