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For three decades, Long Island-based Himed has changed the way patients respond to dental and orthopedic implants. But they’ve always avoided self promotion, until a new CEO arrived.
- Himed was born at the back of a metal coatings company in New York
- Over 30 years, they quietly developed surface treatment technologies for dental and orthopedic implants that are now used worldwide by millions of patients
- Before hiring their new CEO, most of Himed’s innovations flew under the radar, and all business was acquired through word of mouth.
- The publication of their 30 year history is part of an overall push to gain visibility for the company’s achievements
Millions of people are living with dental and medical implants that technology from Himed made possible—but few know Himed’s name. This week, Himed is publishing its story, which covers how they went from a one-room operation at the back of an aerospace coatings factory to a global biomaterials manufacturer.
In 1991, implant manufacturers didn’t have the supply chain they do today, so asking a factory that specialized in high performance surfaces to put a textured finish on hip implants wasn’t nearly as odd as it sounds. Himed’s co-founder, Ed Garofalo, answered one such request, which only led to an even more unusual request concerning hydroxyapatite, the primary mineral component found in human bone.
Doing their own research and experimentation, Ed and his team learned about this unique, biocompatible calcium phosphate. Not only were they among the first to discover how to plasma spray hydroxyapatite, they invented an entirely new way to use calcium phosphate materials as an abrasive on titanium. Without the risk of toxic residue that can occur with conventional alumina or silicon carbide grit, Himed’s biocompatible grit blasting technique is now used for texturizing hundreds of thousands of titanium implants annually.
Up until now, Himed has worked quietly in the background of the biomaterial and implant coatings industry, amassing discoveries and unique processes along the way. When Dana Barnard was hired as the new CEO in 2020, his first challenge was to navigate the challenges of COVID.
His next step was to share Himed’s story. It started with a build-out of the company website, followed by Himed’s first whitepaper. This week, the full story will be told with the publication of the company’s 30 year history titled Answering the Calls: 30 Years of Himed History.
Source: Himed
