Delivering the Goods

Dukal celebrates 30 years of building trusted partnerships in medical distribution.

Thirty years ago, the  health care marketplace was in a much different place. The major trend was national brands; there was a lot of consolidation at the time, where national brands were buying up other entities.

In 1991, Gerry LoDuca saw an opportunity in the marketplace for distributors selling to physicians and nursing homes to have a generic product against these national brands, at a reduced cost – where they could enhance their profitability and pass on their savings to the end-user. Through this vision, Dukal was born. The manufacturer celebrated its 30th anniversary in November 2021.

“Our 30th anniversary is a celebration of our journey and a tribute to our employees and valued customers,” LoDuca said. “We understand our success is built upon trusted partnerships and the belief that enhancing family and community health is the way to a better future.”

Repertoire asked Dukal to share some of the most notable company milestones over the last three decades. They include:

• 1991: The early days. LoDuca founded Dukal in 1991. Beginning in LoDuca’s basement, the company started with a single product and the belief that people like to do business with those they know, like, and trust.
• 2005: Acquisition of Hermitage Hospital Products. Bringing together the extensive line of wound care, surgical and burn dressings, tapes, and personal protective apparel products, Hermitage Hospital Products expanded Dukal’s ability to serve the entire continuum of care. Acquisitions have not only grown Dukal’s footprint and product portfolio but have also brought new talent and skills to the company. 
• 2010: Headquarters moved to Ronkonkoma, New York. From the humble beginnings of founder Gerry LoDuca’s basement, the headquarters of Dukal has transformed throughout the years. In 1993, Dukal set up shop in a mobile trailer on cinder blocks inside 10,000 square feet rented from a Syosset, New York sterilization company. The company then moved to Hauppauge, New York, and to its current location in 2010, Ronkonkoma, New York, with 15,133 square feet of office space.
• 2011: Awarded best companies to work for by the Medical Device and Diagnostic Industry. Committed to a world where all Dukal team members feel a sense of pride in themselves and their impact on society, Dukal was recognized by Medical Device and Diagnostics Industry (MD+DI) as one of the best companies to work for.
• 2012: With the acquisition of Donovan Industries, Dukal adds East Coast and West Coast distribution facilities. With the acquisition of Donovan Industries, Dukal added a West Coast distribution center in Riverside, California. With East and West coast distribution centers, and a combined size of 350,000 square feet, all U.S. customers are now within 3 to 5 days of ground transportation, and Dukal’s team can ship orders within 24 hours.
• 2015-2016: Dukal’s continued growth through acquisition. Recognizing acquisition as a strong growth strategy, Dukal’s family of brands grew rapidly between 2015 and 2016 with the acquisition of Bioadaptive LLC, Tech-Med, and American White Cross. Further in 2016, Dukal acquired an impregnated dressing line from AlbaHealth, and announced a strategic partnership with Bray Healthcare expanding its product line to include Silver Nitrate Applicators.
• 2018: HIDA announces Gerry LoDuca the recipient of the John F. Sasen Leadership Award. In 2018, the Health Industry Distributors Association (HIDA) announced Gerry LoDuca as the 2018 John F. Sasen Leadership Award recipient. The award recognizes exceptional individuals who demonstrate the qualities of leadership, commitment, and service that made John Sasen an icon in the industry. In the same year, Dukal was recognized as one of Long Island’s top workplaces, and again in 2019 and 2020.
• 2019: LoDuca inducted into Share Moving Media’s 2019 Medical Distribution Hall of Fame Class. Each year, Share Moving Media inducts an industry leader into the Medical Distribution Hall of Fame. Those inducted into the Hall of Fame must be truly outstanding individuals who have played a key role in bringing the industry to where it is today. 2019’s theme of entrepreneurship focused on those who have created businesses, grown people, and provided jobs for individuals across the U.S. in healthcare.
• 2019: New capabilities in surgical innovation with the launch of the Capseus bone dust collection (BDC-15). Designed to easily provide cost-effective local autograft generated at the surgical site during spinal fusion surgery, the Capseus BDC-15 reduces hospital costs, time, and infection risk, while providing higher-quality bone.
• 2020: Increasing capacity. Dukal’s new distribution center in Savannah, Georgia, increased inbound and outbound capacity by 100%, allowing Dukal to meet the growing needs of healthcare providers. 
• 2020 – 2021: Pandemic resilience. In response to COVID-19, Dukal along with its trusted partners delivered over 50 million masks to frontline healthcare workers.

2021 and beyond

With national healthcare expenditure (NHE) estimated to reach $6.2 trillion by 2028, there are mounting concerns about the country’s ability to provide financially responsible care while attaining acceptable levels of quality, effectiveness, and equity.

“As a leader in the development and manufacturing of medical products, Dukal recognizes the tremendous need to play a significant role in using innovation to improve care while lowering the overall costs to our partners,” LoDuca said. “With a new vision of Better Health. Better Future. – we’re leveraging our R&D, manufacturing, and regulatory expertise to bring innovative solutions to the market.”

Photo captions:

1. 2020 new Dukal warehouse in Savannah.
2. 1991 Rockville Centre, NY home where Dukal was founded.
3. Dukal’s first distribution center.
4. 2018 – Gerry receiving HIDA Award.
5. Prior to 2010 – Dukal team in front of Happauge Office.
6. Gerry and members of Dukal leadership.
7. 2021 – Shanghai team members celebrate Dukal rebrand.
8. Gerry LoDuca and Pat Lamb (VP International Operations) in China.
9. Gerry and Ellenmary (Vice President of Business Development) in China.
10. LoDuca family.