CIVCO Medical Instruments announced the planned opening of its first international office, scheduled to launch February 1 in Brussels, Belgium. CIVCO Medical Instruments Europe will be headed by Brad Dunlap, Director of European Business Development.

“We are very excited for this opportunity to further expand our business to the global marketplace. CIVCO has been doing business overseas for nearly a decade. However, now with an office in Europe, CIVCO will be able to better meet the needs and expectations of our international customers,” said Charles Klasson Jr., president and chief operating officer.

Since 1981, CIVCO has been a leading designer, manufacturer and distributor of customized medical devices for the ultrasound industry. In cooperation with leading ultrasound original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), CIVCO designs and manufactures innovative accessory products, such as biopsy needle guidance systems and surgical transducer covers that help physicians and sonographers perform delicate minimally-invasive procedures (such as breast and prostate biopsy, liver surgery and gall bladder removals) under ultrasound guidance.

CIVCO’s OEM customers include the medical imaging divisions of General Electric, Philips, Toshiba, Siemens, Hewlett-Packard and other leading medical equipment manufacturers. CIVCO custom designs needle guidance devices to integrate with the OEM customer’s specific ultrasound equipment to offer physicians biopsy-instrument placement capabilities that increase clinical accuracy and improve patient throughput.

Responsible for developing all aspects of CIVCO’s business, including sales and marketing in Europe, Dunlap will draw from over six years of experience working for CIVCO. Dunlap has managed top OEM accounts including several leading manufacturers in the imaging industry in addition to working in product management and distributor development.

According to Dunlap, “CIVCO has been doing business in Europe through its OEM customers and local market distributors for about a decade. Many of the European markets have a very high utilization of ultrasound when compared to CT, MRI and more expensive imaging techniques. In addition, many of the more advanced sites in Europe are doing unique invasive procedures using ultrasound that are typically done under other imaging modalities in the United States.”

Dunlap, assisted by Stephanie Lynne, European Marketing Coordinator, will be instrumental in enhancing CIVCO’s international marketing strategies to better address the demands of today’s evolving healthcare needs. “To better support our OEM clients, CIVCO must be a full service supplier on a global basis. With a European presence, we will be able to build our distribution network to support the marketing of our aftermarket products worldwide,” said Dunlap. “CIVCO Europe will seek to understand the end-user market needs and competitive landscape in Europe in order to recommend product line improvements and global sales and marketing strategies.”

The introduction of the “euro” as a common monetary unit may impact CIVCO’s business in Europe. “We expect that the euro’s effect will be to widen the amount of cross-border business within the European community. This may lead to standardized pricing for Europe and make it easier for companies with a European location to serve the entire European population,” said Dunlap. The euro will be the common currency for Ireland Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Finland, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. Great Britain and Sweden are expected to consider joining after a period of watchful waiting.

CIVCO is a global specialist in the design and manufacturing of ultrasound needle guidance systems, transducer covers and diagnostic accessory devices. Working together with leading ultrasound manufacturers, CIVCO continues to develop innovative products for emerging technologies and imaging procedures. Corporate information is available on CIVCO’s website at http://www.civcomedical.com.