Cincinnati-based SurgiHealth Solutions supplies sterile ​processing​ products to hospitals and surgery centers. The bulk of their business comes from ​supplies needed to clean and reprocess​ surgical instruments for surgeries. Demand for these ​supplies has fallen off in the wake of COVID-19 due to the national ban on​ elective surgeries. However, demand for personal protective equipment ​(PPE)​ such as face masks and ​isolation​ gowns has skyrocketed.

According to SurgiHealth Founder, Owner and CEO Joshua Williams, the company is well-positioned to make this pivot because they are already ​an​ FDA registered importer/exporter of medical devices and supplies​. This allows them to bring products through customs without having to deal with long delays or ​potential​ seizure by the government.

The company—which has received crucial business assistance through the ​Cincinnati​ Minority Business Accelerator as part of the KeyBank Business Boost & Build program—already had a relationship with 90 percent of the medical facilities in the tri-state area. Now, they are growing the PPE procurement side of their operations—something that will continue to serve them well, even as the demand for elective ​surgeries​ ​(and the supplies needed to support those surgeries) rebounds.

“The support received from the Cincinnati​ Minority Business Accelerator has been key to our success during COVID-19,” said Williams of his recent shift. “They’ve helped us create relationships which  led to SurgiHealth Solutions being able to quickly pivot our product offerings to better serve our customers during this difficult time.”

“We are thrilled at the progress and growth trajectory of SurgiHealth,” added Darrin Redus, vice president and executive director at the Minority Business Accelerator. “Joshua exemplifies everything that you hope to find in a coachable and highly motivated entrepreneur, and his ability to quickly pivot to now offer critical PPE during this time of crisis has been exceptional.”