Private equity-backed imaging parts and service provider acquires competitor

A private equity-backed imaging parts and service provider has acquired one of its competitors, leaders announced on Monday.

DirectMed Parts & Service bills itself as one of the nation’s largest independent suppliers in the business, specializing in MRI and CT with over 60,000 items in stock. The Poway, California-based company inked a partnership with investment firm NMS Capital in 2021 and now is growing by acquiring Technical Prospects, which also provides parts, training and support for imaging equipment.

Robert Probst, a former Siemens engineer, founded Technical Prospects, which operates from its facility in Appleton, Wisconsin, serving customers across the globe since 1997.

“The team at DirectMed has long viewed Technical Prospects as the leading aftermarket Siemens imaging parts and service company in the U.S.,” Brad de Koning, president and CEO of DirectMed, said in a Sept. 11 announcement. “The opportunity to partner with them supports our vision of becoming the most trusted resource in aftermarket diagnostic imaging equipment.”

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. De Koning said there will be no immediate changes to the Technical Prospects brand, its Appleton operations or “the level of commitment to the customer base.”

Jeremy Probst—Robert Probst’s son and Technical Prospects’ president and CEO since 2017—sees clear alignment between the two organizations' missions. He said the partnership will provide his company with expanded resources and the ability to deliver an “even higher” level of service and expertise.

“After almost 30 years of independent operations, we are excited to partner with DirectMed for our next chapter of growth,” Probst said in the announcement.

Marty Stempniak

Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic. 

Around the web

The nuclear imaging isotope shortage of molybdenum-99 may be over now that the sidelined reactor is restarting. ASNC's president says PET and new SPECT technologies helped cardiac imaging labs better weather the storm.

CMS has more than doubled the CCTA payment rate from $175 to $357.13. The move, expected to have a significant impact on the utilization of cardiac CT, received immediate praise from imaging specialists.

The all-in-one Omni Legend PET/CT scanner is now being manufactured in a new production facility in Waukesha, Wisconsin.