Blake Helm nailed it! He shared some very insightful observations on BoneChat about the changing landscape of sales and distribution. Below I have tried to summarize his thoughts.
You can listen to the original recorded discussion with Blake here - https://youtu.be/opwxqedeP8E
"The orthopedic distribution landscape today looks radically different than it did even a decade ago. When we first entered the scene, independent distributors with substantial scale dominated the industry, and the money was good. It was a thriving ecosystem with innovative products and talented sales teams bringing real value to the OR. Those were the "glory days" for many of us in the field, but things have changed dramatically—largely due to the influence of giant orthopedic device companies like Arthrex and ZB."
The Shift to Direct Sales Models
In the past, independent distributors played a major role in the success of orthopedic companies. They had autonomy and could operate across multiple product lines, building deep relationships with doctors and hospitals. Today, however, the landscape is dominated by companies like Arthrex, who have shifted to direct sales models. Rather than working with indepen...
