UMF Medical, a Johnstown company that makes exam tables and other equipment for hospitals, clinics and doctors' offices, has sold to international customers since the business' founding in 1956. But in recent years, it has switched from merely taking orders to actively seeking overseas customers.
Eileen Melvin, UMF's president, says many Pennsylvania manufacturers could find markets for their products in other countries if their executives took the time to pursue them. She credits the state's Center for Trade Development with helping businesses like hers with research on promising markets abroad, setting up meetings with potential customers and arranging visas, passage through customs and hotel stays. Through this office, which employs 20 trade representatives in various nations, UMF has been able to connect more easily with businesses in the Middle East and Latin America. “When we got there, we could actually talk business,” Melvin says.
UMF's fastest-growing market is Saudi Arabia, which has a growing, aging population increasingly facing health problems such as diabetes. The company also has a promising customer base in the United Arab Emirates and is expanding into other countries in the region. “They really appreciate the quality of U.S. manufacturing,” Melvin says.
Additionally, her business is reaching out to customers in Latin America and Europe. It is planning to take part in a business development trip to France and Germany later this month, along with Gov. Tom Corbett.
Source: Eileen Melvin, UMF Medical
Writer: Rebecca VanderMeulen
