Top Medical & Hospital Equipment Companies

According to AdvaMed, the trade group for medical equipment manufacturers, more than 6,000 companies in the United States make medical and hospital equipment, ranging from diagnostic and laboratory equipment to protective products and orthopedic, ophthalmic and wound care equipment. Although AdvaMed notes that smaller firms--with fewer than 100 employees--are responsible for 28 percent of industry spending on research and development, large medical and hospital equipment companies offer hospitals and doctor's offices a wide range of products and a worldwide reach.

Beckman Coulter

• Beckman Coulter is a global manufacturer of clinical diagnostic equipment, bringing in annual revenues of $3.1 billion. Based in California, Beckman Coulter has offices in 13 other countries around the world and employs 11,000 people. The company notes that it has 200,000 clinical and research systems in labs around the globe. More than 600 medical equipment and lab diagnostic products fall into nine categories, or business segments. Products include DNA sequencing equipment, centrifuges and blood banking equipment, data management systems, flow cytometry machines, molecular diagnostics, rapid test kits, immunoassays, electrochemistry meters and physician office instruments. Beckman Coulter reports that its customers range from hospital diagnostic laboratories and universities to pharmaceutical companies, biotech firms and research organizations.

Cardinal Health

• Cardinal Health is a Fortune 18 medical equipment manufacturer headquartered in Dublin, Ohio. The company divides its business units into two segments: pharmaceuticals and medical products. Cardinal works with hospitals, ambulatory care centers, physician offices, freestanding surgical centers and pharmacies to provide products that help health professionals do their jobs. Its medical products division makes gloves, gowns, surgical drapes, scrubs, surgical masks, laboratory products, fluid suction and collection products, sharps disposal containers, clinician apparel and personal protective equipment such as face shields and aprons. With 30,000 employees worldwide, Cardinal is also a major employer. Its website notes the many awards it has received for leadership in workplace diversity and leadership, including a 100 percent score on the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index and winning two "Most Admired Employer" awards--one for minority professionals and one specifically for Hispanic employees.

Covidien

• Covidien is a large global medical equipment company, with $10.7 billion in revenue in 2009 and 42,000 employees in more than 60 countries worldwide. Headquartered in Mansfield, Massachusetts, the company segments its business into three main areas: pharmaceuticals, medical devices and medical supplies. Covidien notes that its well-known brands, size, global reach and large profit margins make it a leading medical equipment manufacturer. Its business units produce respiratory care devices, advanced surgical tools and supplies, needles, syringes, wound stitches and wound care kits, generic drugs and contrast media for diagnostic imaging. The company prides itself on devoting sizable resources to research and development, reporting on its website that in 2009, it spent close to half a million dollars on research, and expected that amount to increase in future years.