MedWorld Advisors @ MPO Summit 2021

The major players in the medical device contract manufacturing industry were present last week at the MPO Summit in Salt Lake City, Utah. Co-hosted by Medical Product Outsourcing and Orthopedic Design & Technology magazines, it was the latest event on the conference circuit to make up for lost time. 

MedWorld’s own Daniel Sheppard, Managing Director - Middle Markets, attended in-person to network with colleagues, absorb the content, and represent our clients interests in acquirer meetings. He felt the event was well worth the price of admission, stating “the MPO team is top notch when it comes to hosting these events. Despite the hiatus due to the pandemic, the conference ran flawlessly and was well attended by the industry.”

Also present were manufacturing heavyweights B Braun, Spectrum Plastics, Raumedic, Teleflex, and Viant; as well as many other small, medium, and large medical device outsourcing companies. If you have a medical device that you’re looking to design and manufacture, you couldn’t show up to a better conference. 

Supply Chain was probably the hottest topic throughout the MPO Summit. Due to the constraints placed in the last year and a half because of Covid, many manufacturers have struggled to keep a constant supply of raw materials at a consistent price. It has also been tough to account for longer lead times, which has led to manufacturers being saddled with additional inventory. Coupled with the ever-present push from their customers to reduce prices and it has been a high-pressure year for a lot of companies. 

While Covid has provided certain struggles, it has also given the industry the opportunity to shine. As the conference came to a close with a session about looking back at the last 15 years and forecasting the next 15, the optimism was very much alive. Issues with the supply chain are being worked out and the industry as a whole is going strong. Many companies in the medical device manufacturing industry had record years and all have contributed to the fight against the global pandemic. We couldn’t be prouder to be a part of this great industry.

Utah played a great host to the MPO Summit and Daniel was sad to have to say goodbye. We’re already counting down to the next year’s version, taking place in Austin, TX in 2022.