How Covetrus and Midmark helped one veterinarian create the clinic he always wanted

Welcoming a better way
It’s not every day you meet an 8th grader on a confident career path. For Michael Henricks, it was simple: become a veterinarian just like the family friend he worked for growing up. As the years passed and he gained more experience, he was determined to buy that smalltown practice in southern Ohio and build his career there taking care of neighbors and their pets. But life had other plans—he met a girl in vet school, married and moved away.

While working for another veterinarian, he never lost sight of wanting to own his own clinic. Just over two years. The dream practice: Faithful Friends Animal Clinic in Dublin, Ohio. ago, that dream came true in a suburb of Columbus, Ohio.

Defining the dream
Dr. Henricks’ vision was to create a veterinary clinic that mirrored the experience any pet owner would have at his or her own doctor’s office. “The quality of the environment had to match the quality of our care,” Dr. Henricks explained. That meant not only the décor, but also the practicality of design. “For example, we wanted separate waiting areas for dogs and cats, to lower stress levels for pets and their owners.”

“This is a specialized field with unique challenges, and Covetrus and Midmark work well together to solve them. It’s a seamless experience— I’m very comfortable with them.”

How did Dr. Henricks bring his vision to life? “It can be nerve wracking,” he said. So he turned to Covetrus and Midmark, who went above and beyond to make it all work.

First, Dr. Henricks and Covetrus discussed practice philosophy, budget, and equipment needs. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution: every decision had to be as faithful to the vision as pets are to their owners.

“There were some major items I didn’t want to budge on and others where I could be more flexible, based on my budget,” Dr. Henricks said. For those products, Covetrus provided price-conscious but still high-quality options, which could be upgraded later as his patient base and revenue grew

Then Covetrus Equipment Solutions Manager, Jeff Albachten, introduced the doctor to Midmark—a century-old, family-owned company.

“Not only does Midmark have the best cabinetry designed and built for the medical environment, but they also support our mutual customer with the best customer experience throughout the entire process,” he said. Dr. Henricks visited the Midmark manufacturing plant and saw the craftsmanship first-hand. “The tour was great and made it easy to choose the cabinetry options I wanted. I could see all the colors and patterns up close and choose just the right ones for the look I wanted for my practice.”

A total business solution
From consulting to cabinetry, equipment solutions to pharmaceuticals, hospital supplies and medical consumables, the Covetrus and Midmark team provided virtually everything that Dr. Henricks needed to open his doors. But perhaps the biggest benefit was the one you can’t pick out of a product catalog: the experience to know what to do when problems occur during construction.

“It’s not a question of ‘if’, but ‘when’ a problem will occur,” Albachten said.

“So we start early in the planning process to help avoid problems in the first place—for example, recommending the right design/build firm to Dr. Henricks. Above all, our role at Covetrus is to be the ‘conductor,’ making sure everyone hits the right notes in tune and on time.”

Cabinetry designed and built for the medical environment that functions as good as it looks“This is not your standard local millwork,” said TJ Lichtenberg, Territory Manager for Covetrus. “Midmark cabinetry stands the test of time—it looks great for years, even decades. Just as important, Midmark has a strong culture of honesty and reliability. They stand behind the quality of their work—and that’s why Midmark makes such a great partner in helping us build dream clinics for our clients.”

“When Dr. Henricks visited our manufacturing facilities and Education Center, he saw the Midmark Experience first-hand,” said Ted Hoelscher, Territory Manager for Midmark.

“We understand that it’s a big endeavor for veterinarians to build a clinic, so we know that seeing our operation helps make them more comfortable,” Hoelscher said.

“Once veterinarians visit, they know they’re putting the right equipment solutions inside their practice.

And Covetrus knows we have a reputation for reliability and preventing problems that drive costs up and set construction schedules back.”

Taking the next step
Currently, Dr. Henricks is leasing space. The next step in fulfilling his dream is owning his own building. When he’s ready to make the move, his Casework cabinetry can move with him. It’s that flexible.

Dr. Henricks is well on his way to taking that next step: in just his third year of business, he’s on track to increase revenue by 50% over last year.

How is he hitting his goal?

“Building our reputation is key,” he said. And tools such as ImproMed Practice Management Software from Covetrus help him manage business operations.

“I use it to keep in touch with clients and schedule appointments. Plus, ImproMed generates reports that help me better manage inventory levels and costs.” Dr. Henricks is in good company: more than 4,000 veterinary practices use ImproMed to improve profitability and patient care.