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January/February 2005

David Maley

David Maley, new president and CEO of Magister Corp, Chattanooga, Tenn, recently spoke with Rehab Management about his company and its products.

Q: What is Magister’s niche in the rehab industry?
A: Magister’s niche is working with different polymers to develop new and unique products for rehabilitation, fitness, and orthopedics. Our motto is that if the product must be plugged into the wall, we don’t want it. We have our branded products (REP Band® resistive exercise products, Eggsercizer® hand exercisers, and Cambion® orthopedic shoe inserts) that we sell into the rehabilitation and orthopedic industries, but we also have a fairly substantial OEM business that nobody sees or knows about—it is our little secret. Our production capabilities include the molding of soft polyurethanes and the extrusion thermo-plastic elastomers (TPEs). Besides the rehab and fitness industries, we also sell products into other markets including the industrial safety, advertising specialty, and retail markets, and for 2005 we will make our entry into the music industry.

Q: Tell us about your most popular product.
A: Over the last several years, our REP Band line of latex-free resistive exercise products have been our most popular in the rehabilitation industry. We were the first company to introduce latex-free exercise bands and tubing back in 1997, and now REP Band is sold to therapists and fitness instructors in more than 40 different countries; it is considered to be the most accepted brand of latex-free resistance products. The use of exercise bands and tubing for resistive exercise is a simple, cost-effective method to strengthen muscles, and we have spearheaded the emphasis on latex-free. Our products offer the performance characteristics of latex and the cleanliness and safety of non-latex.

Q: What are the company goals for the next 5 years?
A: Quickly looking ahead, I would like to develop new partnerships with other manufacturers or distributors to increase the sales of our current products and materials into different markets where we do not have the relationships to leverage. We need to look at our current manufacturing capabilities and identify the next areas to build expertise. In 5 years, Magister Corp must be a different company; otherwise we will be left behind.

Q: What keeps your customers coming back?
A: We place a strong emphasis on product quality and customer service. We are not a large company, and our product offering is not as broad as those of some of our competitors. To keep our customers happy, we offer the same friendly and flexible service that you find at a small “mom and pop” store. We provide our customers with a quality product that meets the needs of their customers (we sell our products through distributors). We know that our customers need to make a profit selling our products, and our goal is to ensure a healthy business relationship with them to help them maintain their margins.

-By Arati Murti

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