Meet the Team: Douglas Pitman

In the first of our new Meet the Team series, we chat to our company founder and chairman, Douglas Pitman – the man who puts the ‘DP’ in DP Medical – about how the business started out 34-years ago and how its evolved into a market leading medical supplier, today.

Tell us about how DP Medical came into being…

DP: I started the company in 1987 after seeing a need for a company that specialised in optics and visual enhancement, enabling surgeons and physicians to see more clearly so they could essentially do more – and to a higher standard.

At the time no one else really specialised in that area and so I started the company up on my own, selling microscopes and endoscopes, as well as video equipment for endoscopy and microscopy.

And how has the company evolved since then?

Since it was founded, DP Medical has evolved enormously, adding to the range of products we offer our customers.

For example, around 25 years ago I saw an opportunity to use magnification in dentistry, and so started selling microscopes to the sector. DP Medical then established itself as a market leader for microscopes in dentistry, setting the standard for the industry.

Today, this evolution continues as we keep on diversifying and exploring niche markets within the medical sector, offering our customers not only the very best products, but top-quality technical support and servicing, too.

The number of people we employ has grown, also. The business began with just me, but today DP Medical has more than 25 people across the UK and Ireland, and we’re exporting to certain countries, too.

As chairman of the company, I couldn’t be prouder of the fantastic team we have in place – many of whom have been with DP Medical for years and are now in senior roles, moving us forward all the time.

What do you think makes DP Medical stand out from the crowd?

Since day one our philosophy has been to not just sell equipment, but to offer quality servicing and technical support, too.

We’re proud to have our own service division at DP Medical, giving our customers fast access to support when they need it, and we’re incredibly proud of the quality of the products we sell. We only supply the very best to our customers.

This ethos, which runs throughout the company and is shared by our conscientious and hard-working team, is key to our continued success.

Equally, I’d say our willingness to exploit niches within healthcare has driven the company’s growth over the years, as we’ve opted to create areas of true expertise within sectors of ENT and dentistry, rather than trying to compete in more crowded areas of the market.

What do you think the future holds for DP Medical?

The future looks rosy for DP Medical. The team have got lots of new ideas to keep the company developing, with new products and plans to increase our coverage even further across the UK, Ireland and internationally.

Over the years we’ve made great strides thanks to our growing product range, forging links with suppliers across the UK, Europe, USA and Japan, as well as acquiring new technologies such as the groundbreaking MediScan - which under our development has become the workstation of choice for gynecology practitioners and forensic medicine, not only in the UK, but in Europe, Africa and the UAE.

We’re looking forward to continuing with this work and to growing further as a business in the months and years to come.

And finally, how is semi-retired life? What are you up to nowadays?

I’m enjoying semi-retired life, working in my role as chairman of DP Medical, keeping in contact with our key customers and suppliers, plus supporting the team, while also making more time outside of work for my hobbies, which include sailing, classic cars, woodwork and spending time with my family and friends.

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