Tell us about your company. Jeff: It’s a prosthetics and orthotics business. Prosthetics are for replacement of a lost limb, artificial limb devices. Orthotics are for bracing to (help) give a person capabilities if maybe their muscles don’t function. We have 13 employees, including our two sons, Jeffrey and Eric.
What are your roles in the business? Jeff: I’m the CEO, and Wanda’s the secretary. Wanda: At one time, I worked up front, answered the phones and scheduled people. I still fill in sometimes … but I don’t come in every day and work. Jeff: She does more than what she says. She kind of keeps us in line.
Why did you switch from well drilling to prosthetics and orthotics? Jeff: We decided to sell the well-drilling business because it’s a young man’s business, and I was getting too old for that. Wanda: We were actually looking for a business where we didn’t have to work out in the field, with (more regular) hours.
Who are your customers? Jeff: Everyone we get is doctor- or hospital-referred. We bring the patients in, examine and evaluate the patient, and based on our evaluation and what the (prescribing) doctor would like for us to do, we fabricate devices. So 95 percent of what we do is custom-made.
What have been your biggest challenges? Jeff: Probably the financial part. Like any small company that wants to grow, you have to have the finances. The Small Business Administration has been a great help there, and so has our bank, Bank of Bolivar. We do $3 million in revenues a year. When we bought the company, it was doing $700,000 a year. We’ve grown a lot, so you can understand why (financing growth) would be the biggest obstacle. (Editor’s note: The Messengers’ banker, Ilene Glenn, nominated them for Small Business Person of the Year honors with SBA.)
Has the recession hurt your business? Jeff: No, it hasn’t. When we bought this company, we wanted to buy a company that was unique. And we have a special niche … we don’t usually get people until they’re at worst-case scenarios, because (most of our products are) custom-made. They’ve already tried to go off-the shelf (and) we’re the last-ditch effort and a necessity.
What do you think has fueled that growth? Jeff: You have to be willing to move forward (or) you become stagnant and stale and move backwards. … You have to be willing to adjust. Some avenues may take you longer to get where you want to go, but the shortest way is not always the best. Wanda: I think a lot of it is that we came from a company that’s entirely different from this. I think it amazed (SBA), the profits that we can do, since we didn’t know anything about prosthetics.
What are your growth plans? Jeff: We’re looking at expanding our capabilities (in Springfield), and we’re looking at expanding into other states. We’re looking at Texas right now. The majority of our people are elderly, so we’re looking at areas where the elderly are moving. Wanda: I do have to keep them in line. He takes chances … and I kind of have to hold the reins a little bit. [[In-content Ad]]Jeff and Wanda Messenger, owners of Ozark Prosthetics and Orthotics, are the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Missouri Small Business Person of the Year. They will be recognized at a May 3 reception at the Springfield SBA branch office and travel to Washington D.C. the week of May 24 to compete for national Small Business Person of the Year honors.
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