MYTREX IN THEIR OWN WORDS: 

PERS Insider reached out to Mytrex to get some perspective on the company in their own words. 

Here’s what VP of Business Development Ryan Bangerter had to say...

On Mytrex’s elevator pitch…

Mytrex is a vertically integrated company that designs and manufactures its solutions in the USA. With over 35 years of experience, Mytrex specializes in systems design and has a 360-degree view of the industry which creates synergetic benefits to its partners. 

On supply chain issues…

As you know, Mytrex manufactures its products in-house and therefore we directly procure all internal components used to manufacture and assemble our final products.

In April 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic began we started seeing possible delays in receiving some of the parts needed to manufacture one of our models.

We immediately began, in part, procuring as many individual components from our vendors as we could get our hands-on. Additionally, we noticed some of the expected delivery dates our vendors provided were inaccurate.

Ultimately, we created new procurement and inventory policies which have resulted in mitigating the supply chain issues being realized throughout the manufacturing world.

Now to be more specific within the PERS industry the supply chain issues have been compounded by not only COVID-19 but also the 3G sunset as well as an overall increase in demand for medical alert devices across the board.

2020 was a banner year for Mytrex, and we are on pace to shatter those numbers in 2021. In fact, while some companies like Ford and Toyota have halted production and closed plants, Mytrex recently completed an expansion of our manufacturing facilities which has more than doubled production output.  As a disciplined privately held company, Mytrex’s investment in expanded manufacturing space should be read as their strong belief in the PERS industry’s future growth.

On Mytrex products…

Mytrex products are systematically designed with two major components in mind:
 

1. The end-user: The intimate knowledge Mytrex has gained over the last 35 years in servicing end-user accounts is directly applied to the design of our products. We design features which promote safety, reliability, and customer satisfaction. We pay attention to the small details such as the size of wearable help buttons, backup battery longevity and management, the brightness of the LED on the base units, unit feedback via voice prompts, and many other fine details. During our design review meetings, our team ensures each product and feature passes what we call the “grandparent test.” The test is very basic in principle, we ask ourselves “If we launch this product would we feel comfortable installing the device into our own grandparents’ home?” We design solutions that enable our partners to provide their customers with a product custom fitted to their needs. 


2. The Dealer/Partner:  We are blessed to have many great dealers and partners and learn from them every chance we get.  We pay close attention to the challenges they face in servicing their customer base and design in a way to alleviate those challenges. 

On being a manufacturer during the 3G to 4G transition…

I would probably say the same thing that virtually everyone in this industry has been saying for at least 12 months. You need to form a plan, stick with it, and don’t wait too late to get started. We have been shipping 4G MXD-LTE units to dealers for transitions for quite some time now, so I know the migration is well underway. I can’t stress enough – don’t wait until it’s too late.

On Mytrex’s Founding…

My father Richard had worked in a family business founded by my grandfather called “Mobile Telephone.”  It grew it to become the largest paging company in Utah. During his time there, he developed several telecommunications patents.

The “aha moment” behind Mytrex’s first PERS device can be traced back to a Reader’s Digest article published in the late ’70s. The article, generally speaking, was about a man who had a stroke in his home and was unable to get help in a timely manner. While reading it, Richard Bangerter realized he could use existing patents that he had filed for and his technical knowledge to create a solution whereby someone could summon help by simply pressing a button.

Bangerter designed his first PERS device he called SOSTEN, and ultimately set out on his own by incorporating Mytrex in 1986.

On the most exciting development in the PERS industry and the biggest challenge…

There are plenty of exciting developments within the PERS industry. Probably the most exciting is the overall growth of the market in general. Whether you are providing in-home PERS, Mobile PERS, traditional pendants, or fall detection pendants the overall industry is growing and that’s good news.

As far as challenges I would say as technology continues to evolve at its ever-increasing pace defining what the actual customers’ needs are is becoming more difficult. Do they need an in-home unit? Mobile PERS? A wristwatch? Is fall detection appropriate for them? What about vitals monitoring?

There are a lot of options out there to choose from and it is becoming more important than ever to provide each customer with the solution/s which fits their needs.

A piece of advice for a PERS dealer...

It’s not always about the cost of hardware. Yes, hardware cost plays a major part in the bottom line. Mytrex always tries to keep hardware costs at the top of our minds in our design process. However, reliability, cost of ownership, durability in the field, and ultimately client usability play a significant role as well.

For example, at Mytrex we designed the myLink portal to reduce on-site service visits and provide a wealth of data that helps improve the amount of troubleshooting a dealer can do over the air. All of these factors tie into a successful PERS offering.