Member Spotlight: Leo Levine, Owner, Merrick Surgical Supplies & Home Care

Published in Member Communities on January 05, 2021

Meet Leo Levine, owner of Merrick Surgical Supplies & Home Care! A VGM member since 2019, Leo has taken what he’s learned during his time as a member and used it to help him grow his business. 

Leo purchased Merrick Surgical Supplies & Home Care a little over 10 years ago. At the time, the previous owner had exited pharmaceuticals and focused specifically on durable medical equipment (DME). Over time, Leo helped convert the business from the small supplies like wound care, surgical gloves, compression garments, and orthopedic supplies, into becoming a large dealer of medical lift chairs, hospital beds, and more. 

As Leo continued this conversion into DME, he would ask others in the industry questions that always seemed to go unanswered. He could never quite find the resources he needed. It was then that he learned more about VGM. He realized that joining VGM would be a great way for him to learn more about the DME industry and get answers to the questions he was asking. 

“I was blown away by VGM’s breadth of resources, real expertise in various areas, willingness to help, and reasonability in terms of cost,” said Leo. “I now had literally a partner in my business, which is something that I never had.” 

Leo had the opportunity to attend the VGM Heartland Conference a couple years ago, and that experience still stands out to him today. As a life-long learner who values education, Leo found the conference to be invaluable for many reasons, including the message he took away from it.  

“What it really said to me was if you're interested in making a lot of money, you're in the wrong place,” Leo explained. “If you're interested in doing good for people, you're in the right place, and [VGM] can help you do good.” 

Leo carries this idea every day at Merrick Surgical Supplies & Home Care, and it’s what has helped his business succeed. 

“I believe if you continue providing good service, you can extend your territory, which we have,” said Leo. “People come [to our showroom] from all over the place.” 

In fact, when customers from far away call in to their store and speak to Leo’s wife, Andra, she will sometimes provide them with names of other surgical supply places closer to the customer. However, they still come to Merrick Surgical Supplies because of their expertise and reviews online.  

“I very much consider myself to be a reference, an information source for people and for families,” explained Leo. “When families, caregivers, and patients come in, they very much need advice regardless of what the product is, and that advice is worth a lot.” 

Leo has found this to be even more prevalent during the pandemic. Many times, customers will reach out and simply want to talk with the employees at Merrick Surgical Supplies. 

“It's another lesson learned from VGM,” Leo explained. “People like to be listened to.”  

Leo sees that the future is very bright, and he looks forward to continuing growing with the help of VGM.   

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