Taking a Leader in Innovation to the Next Level
WITH ED MCDONOUGH, PRESIDENT, PLANMECA USA
In September, Ed McDonough was appointed President of Planmeca USA, bringing with him a track record of successfully leading and developing several healthcare technology corporations, including those specializing in dental imaging equipment. He most recently served as CEO of McDonough Medical Products Corporation. McDonough spoke with Dental Product Shopper about why Planmeca USA is a special company and where it’s heading in the future.
What has been your first impression since coming on board at Planmeca?
Having a background in the dental field and having been a former competitor, I always viewed the company with great admiration and held it up as a gold standard in the industry in terms of the quality of their equipment and the technology. So, it’s been a great honor for me to join Planmeca. I think there’s a great legacy here and really a lot of opportunity for us going forward.
Considering your experience in healthcare technology, what kind of insight do you bring to Planmeca?
When I look back on what’s been successful in the past, and at times what hasn’t been as successful as we would like, it always comes down to the people. It’s always critical just to have a great, high-performance team in place. And I’ve always viewed my job more as being the coach and working together to focus on what our objectives are, what we’re trying to do as a team, and making sure that we align the company and the resources of the business to allow that to happen.
So, I hope I can bring strategic focus to the company and really help us define the handful of objectives that we really want to focus on, and then very aggressively pursue the achievement of those objectives.
What can you tell us about your plans for the next year or two?
Well, I’m just getting started, but the team and I are having
some very meaningful conversations around our goals and objectives. We all feel very confident that we can aggressively grow the business here, and we’re starting to set some targets on doubling our sales here in the United States over the next 5 years. So, we’re discussing how we’re going to make that happen
and what investments we’re going to make to achieve those objectives. But the group and I feel very confident about our potential to significantly grow the business here in the U.S.
some very meaningful conversations around our goals and objectives. We all feel very confident that we can aggressively grow the business here, and we’re starting to set some targets on doubling our sales here in the United States over the next 5 years. So, we’re discussing how we’re going to make that happen
and what investments we’re going to make to achieve those objectives. But the group and I feel very confident about our potential to significantly grow the business here in the U.S.
Looking at the profession as a whole, what is your take on
the adoption rate of digital technologies?
the adoption rate of digital technologies?
If you look back many years, sometimes the adoption of digital may have proceeded a little more slowly than many of us expected it would. But I think we’re at a point now where—based on everything I’m
reading and seeing, and people that I’m
talking to—we’re going to have a very
rapid adoption, especially with some of
the CAD/CAM products, like our Planmeca
Emerald digital scanner. So, we’re
very excited about that, and really
working hard to get ourselves aligned
to take maximum advantage of that.
reading and seeing, and people that I’m
talking to—we’re going to have a very
rapid adoption, especially with some of
the CAD/CAM products, like our Planmeca
Emerald digital scanner. So, we’re
very excited about that, and really
working hard to get ourselves aligned
to take maximum advantage of that.
Do the dentists who don’t adopt many of the new technologies get left behind or pushed aside?
I do think that dentists can have a competitive disadvantage if they’re not adopting some of the newer
technologies, given the desire of their
patients to have access to those technologies.
Really, I believe that becomes part of our job. And that is where we put
a lot of focus, making a big investment
in education and training and after-sale
support.
technologies, given the desire of their
patients to have access to those technologies.
Really, I believe that becomes part of our job. And that is where we put
a lot of focus, making a big investment
in education and training and after-sale
support.
A big part of our job is not just
selling the product, but being there every
step of the way with our customer to
make them comfortable with the product
and being a continued partner after
the sale.
I think we can help some of the
dentists overcome whatever trepidation
they may have with the adoption of new
technologies into their office.
Planmeca has introduced many recent advancements and
upgrades in CAD/CAM and imaging. What is most exciting for you right now?
upgrades in CAD/CAM and imaging. What is most exciting for you right now?
That was certainly one of my attractions to the company. Planmeca is a world-class company and a leader in innovation in the dental space. A very high percentage of sales gets reinvested every year into R&D. I think there’s always been a very robust pipeline of new product development—it’s something the company really
prides itself on, and it makes it very
exciting for all of us to see these
products coming out and to take them
to market and be successful.
prides itself on, and it makes it very
exciting for all of us to see these
products coming out and to take them
to market and be successful.
What is your initial take on all that goes into product development at Planmeca?
I’ve been to the company headquarters in Finland now several
times, and I remain enormously impressed
with the R&D team in Helsinki. I
think it’s a very talented, very motivated
team. And you just see it in the products
that are developed by that group.
There’s a lot that’s special about
Planmeca. Being the largest private
dental manufacturer in the world
provides the company with some great
competitive advantages. The company
is big enough to make some significant
investments in R&D, yet we’ve also had
the continuity of ownership and the
commitment from the original founder
of the company, Heikki Kyöstilä. So,
we’re still run very entrepreneurially
and without a lot of bureaucracy, but
just with a real focus on doing the right
thing for our customers, and making
those investments for the long term.
times, and I remain enormously impressed
with the R&D team in Helsinki. I
think it’s a very talented, very motivated
team. And you just see it in the products
that are developed by that group.
There’s a lot that’s special about
Planmeca. Being the largest private
dental manufacturer in the world
provides the company with some great
competitive advantages. The company
is big enough to make some significant
investments in R&D, yet we’ve also had
the continuity of ownership and the
commitment from the original founder
of the company, Heikki Kyöstilä. So,
we’re still run very entrepreneurially
and without a lot of bureaucracy, but
just with a real focus on doing the right
thing for our customers, and making
those investments for the long term.
CAD/CAM TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENTS
In addition to unveiling the Planmeca Viso 3D imaging system last fall, Planmeca announced numerous product upgrades and technology improvements:
•
Planmeca PlanMill 30 S: The entry-level milling unit, ideal for the milling of inlays, onlays, crowns, and bridges, provides SMART software and a broad range of milling materials, now including zirconia.
•
Planmeca Romexis 5.2: In addition to an enhanced implant library, the imaging software features the Model Analyzer, which allows direct capture of intraoral scans for dental model measurement, visualization, and analysis for treatment planning or future use.
•
Planmeca PlanCAD 6.0.5: New features include Contralateral Copy for replicating contralateral dentition or design. HD Snapshot enables high-definition captures with Planmeca Emerald, and the PlanScan DASH increases the scanning rate of Planmeca PlanScan.
•
Planmeca Emerald: The scanner’s new Slim Line Tip is 27% thinner than the standard tip and is ideal for patients with smaller mouths or compromised dentition.
