Advancing the cause of physical therapy.
By Pete Mercer
SME, Inc. USA (Superior Medical Equipment) is a leading distributor of physical therapy products and equipment in the United States. Repertoire Magazine recently spoke to David Rouen III, COO and Dharma Leggat, Director of Client Success, about the history of the company, building client relationships, and what it takes to be successful in the industry.
Back to the beginning
SME was founded in a small Baltimore apartment in 1992 as a provider for CPM (Continuous Passive Movement) services throughout Maryland. The founder, David Rouen Jr. received referrals from area orthopedic practitioners and would deliver, instruct, and train patients on these units in their home. The exposure of working with a patient immediately out of surgery and following their rehab journey provided the knowledge and foundation for Rouen Jr. to make the most of two soon to be opportunities.
First, the creation of a consignment closet for orthopedic practices which removed the distraction for offices of maintaining and billing for braces and splints; allowing the practices to focus strictly on their orthopedic mission.
Second, was selling rehab supplies and equipment to physical therapy and rehabilitation clinics. As both opportunities began to grow, it did not take long before products overtook the small apartment. Rouen III said “our apartment started to look like a warehouse. We stored supplies in our closets, under our beds, and in our living room.”
As both businesses continued to grow, SME moved their operation into a house and then, ultimately, moved into their new headquarters in Wilmington, North Carolina. Today, SME serves thousands of clients across the country including Alaska and Hawaii.
SME’s rapid growth can be attributed to a servant-minded culture that works with clients as consultative partners by providing an educated perspective on the needs of the modern physical therapist. According to Leggat, the SME team is a group of professionals that have taken the time to learn the foundations of the industry, allowing them to provide fiduciary advice to the clients on all sorts of levels.
He said, “SME’s mission goes further than just being a distributor – we want to show up as a valuable partner in terms of education. Offering the newest, latest, greatest, and cutting-edge products in the field for our clients.”
Going beyond a client-first experience
One of the many ways that SME is trying to differentiate itself from the competition is their relationship with the client. In fact, Rouen’s team no longer uses the word “customer;” opting instead for ‘client’, which is just one way that they are approaching their service differently.
David Rouen III reached out to Dharma Leggat, who previously worked for Bergdorf Goodman in New York City, with the intention of bringing the high-end retail mindset to physical therapy distribution. After several brainstorming discussions, Leggat joined the SME team in 2022.
“The first thing Dharma said is, ‘Number one, we’re banning the word customer. It’s client. Number two, we need to create an experience for these clients. We’re not just in a transactional relationship here. We need to make it a nurturing and fostering relationship, which will create an immersive experience.’”
For Leggat, the difference between a customer and a client is that the customer is often just a transaction – they may have purchased something, but there’s no real relationship there. He said, “With a client, you’re treating them as a friend and fiduciary, taking the onus upon yourself for their well-being to be better. You want their business, their personal lives, their marriage, their relationships with their kids to be better. Period.”
Building effective teams
Culture is crucial to the success and health of a company. Rouen likens the culture of the team at SME to a tight-knit, family dynamic. Everyone spends time with each other outside of the work schedule whether it’s going to the movies, the range, or a local restaurant.
“It’s really interesting when you take your stereotypical American work culture and compare it to other cultures around the world,” Leggat said. “It’s not every company, but a lot of companies are anti-fraternization. Whereas in a country like Japan, it’s almost frowned upon not to participate in that outside-of-work culture because that’s bonding time where you’re creating trust and rapport with your team.”
Part of the reason for the successful culture at SME is the way they hire their team members. Any external hires come in and start in the same role, creating an environment where that tight-knit family feeling can develop.
“Outside of specialty roles, like warehouse and marketing, everyone started on our Customer Service Team, which we now call our Client Support Team,” Rouen said. “Everyone goes through the Client Support Team. They learn the foundation of our company, how we interact with our clients, our expectations, and we promote from within. Everyone on our sales, operations, and administrative teams have spent at least one year in our Client Support Team to better understand how we work with our clients.”
Throughout this process, SME begins to incorporate tasks from other departments of the company to guide new hires into future roles and responsibilities.
For example, SME’s “Strike Team” works on constantly evolving objectives – things like targeted outreach to clients on different touchpoints that are centered on making personal connections. Essentially, this team is working as a concierge service by engaging with clients on a one-to-one level, which will only come from the experience of working on the Client Support Team.
“It’s a combination of sales and high-level customer service. They operate somewhere in the middle. They can do high-level sales outreach, but they also do touch points. We’re not order takers here – we want to be a resource and an advocate,” Rouen said.
Partnering with the Foundation for Physical Therapy Research
In January 2024, SME became a “Partner in Research” to the Foundation for Physical Therapy Research – the research funding organization of the APTA.
The Foundation for Physical Therapy Research, now in its 45th year, has funded more than $23M in grants, research, and scholarships to over 700 physical therapy researchers.
In addition to being a “Partner in Research,” SME donates a percentage of select sales to the foundation on a quarterly basis. Rouen said, “It’s so amazing to be a part of this amazing organization dedicated to growing the evidence-base for physical therapy and, as a company, we’re committed to helping shape the future of physical therapy for the professionals and patients alike.”
In July 2024, Rouen was elected to the Foundation’s Board of Trustees and has been assigned to the “Philanthropy Committee” alongside Barbara Connolly, PT, DPT, EdD, FAPTA and Marilyn Moffat, PT, DPT, PhD, DSC (HON), CEEAA, FAPTA.
“I was incredibly honored to be considered for this board position and to have the opportunity to work alongside some of the greatest minds in physical therapy. I am so excited to learn from my amazing peers and to be able to help the foundation in any way I can.”
SME’s involvement with the Foundation for Physical Therapy Research is just another example of their desire to go above and beyond what most would expect of a distributor.