Forest Dental Products, Inc Blog Forest Dental Newsletter Spring 2015

Forest is still breaking records, thanks in large part to the best sales group in the industry, PSA. We grew 19% last year and Q1 saw us up 30%, not to mention the 123% growth we experienced through the four years of the recessionI've often been asked to reveal the secret to our growth. But I attribute our success to fun, which is not a secret, just a unique perspective for a dental equipment manufacturer. It's a focus we share with no one. It's our exclusive niche. For us and our customers, fun starts with the nine paint colors that our equipment comes in. The environment within which a patient is served is inextricably tied to the service itself. A fun environment becomes a powerful marketing tool, as well as a boost to employee morale. These days, we are seeing more and more upholstery and paint color combinations that match favorite team or school colors. What can be more fun that that?We recently had a designer in our showroom who loved our paint color options. They gave her what she called total color integration (I loved that phrase), allowing her to blend the color of the equipment seamlessly into her designs. She observed that you would never see a white table in a Starbucks, a company known for creating small oases of pure enjoyment within the chaos of modern life. The "Starbucks effect" was what she wanted for her client's dental office. She was thrilled that she could create a clean but welcoming environment without the intrusion of white into her warm and colorful interiors.One thing I am always quick to point out is that fun doesn't have to mean flimsy. On the contrary. Forest embraces Affordable Excellence. This principle speaks to the pride we have in our craftsmanship and the durability of our equipment, including such elements as chrome plated billet aluminum arm end caps, metal air and water Ts, tight gaps where parts fit together, beautifully laid out control head components, metal vs plastic plugs, beautiful welds, pressure formed vs vac formed plastic and more. I call this "lots of little things done well" and "big brand features for less." Again, it's a focus you won't find from any of our competitors.How do we handle our growth while keeping our quality and on-time delivery where they need to be? There is no secret here either. The answer is simple: ongoing investment. We have invested heavily in consultants over the last several years and continue to do so. OMEP, our primary consultant is a federally funded organization that helps mid-size companies like ours keep up with growth while maintaining top quality. We never get tired of improving. It's all very exciting for the 100 of us here in Hillsboro. We take great pride in keeping Forest moving forward. I have to talk about our recently revamped showroom. New bamboo floors, new LED lighting, new paint. With six of our packages on view, we believe we win just short of 80% of the prospects that come through our doors. Many of our showroom visitors have been to Pelton or Adec (both just 30 minutes away), where they've seen a lot more packages on display. But six is all we need to express our vision and get visitors to start using their imaginations. Please bring your prospects out for a visit. Lodging and meals are on us! For those of you who have never visited us, we are located on three acres in the middle of what is called the Silicon Forest just 20 minutes west of downtown Portland. We are several blocks from Intel' new 3 billion dollar facility and one block from our own neighborhood Starbucks.I am also thrilled to report that growing international sales account for about 20% of our total business. We had a beautiful stand at the recent IDS in Germany. Our 7000 series of rear mount side deliveries, which represent a radical departure from the ultra-high-dollar chair-mounted units that have dominated the European market for years, are selling surprisingly well. Live and learn and don't be afraid to try something new!Erik Floberg, who heads both new product development and international sales for Forest, was the catalyst behind a new corporate brochure that's hot off the press. He took a unique approach and we are very proud of the results.We have also been developing a new approach to equipment sales based on the concept of incremental, budget-conscious updates. We've created a program for retail reps to help them evaluate opportunities for updates. Reps simply take images of treatment rooms and send them along with doctor and dealer info to update@forestdental.com. We will review the room and send back update suggestions, which the retail rep can then use with his or hers equipment specialist to create a quote. The beauty of this proactive approach is that dealer GP is maximized, and the doctor is now engaged in a smart, long-term practice management concept. It's a win/win for everyone. Again, Forest is the only company with this customer-first approach.A new brochure has been created to promote incremental updates and help support retail reps at the point of sale. If you have not seen it yet, I think you will love it. So thirty-eight-year-old Forest, as Dental Town recently said, is the industry up and comer. We thank PSA and all our dealers who have taken a chance on going with the little guy who dared to be different, and is winning.Thank you!Hank Barton