TAMS consolidates service regions

Toshiba America Medical Systems closed its regional ultrasoundservice offices in Yonkers, NY, and Chicago last week. The vendorconsolidated ultrasound service responsibility for the easternand central regions into its Atlanta and Dallas offices. The remainingwestern region is based at company headquarters in Tustin, CA.

Present and former Toshiba employees contacted by SCAN saidthe closure will result in layoffs of administrative personnel.However, the net effect should be minimal, according to RonaldB. Schilling, TAMS senior vice president and general manager.

This reorganization of ultrasound service follows TAMS' consolidationof sales and service regions for its other modality businesses(SCAN 8/14/91). The vendor cut back from four to three regionsthis summer. The changes are aimed at reducing middle-level administrationand increasing the responsibility of positions closer to the enduser. Customers have expressed satisfaction with the new structure,Schilling said.

Although there has been indication of increased discountingin the ultrasound industry, Schilling denied that the changesare a reaction to a tight market.

"We don't see that. Ultrasound is one of the best growthmarkets today. The restructuring is not at all a response to softness,"he said.

Ultrasound sales will continue to function out of five regions,Schilling said.

"Service is really one organization across the board.We wanted to match all of the (modality) service organizationtogether," he said.

BRIEFLY NOTED:

• Hologic opened a European headquarters in Brussels lastmonth. Jean Chantreuil, formerly responsible for marketing mammographyat GE-CGR, was named managing director of Hologic Europe NV.

Chantreuil introduced the Hologic QDR x-ray bone densitometerinto France while at Paris-based GE-CGR. Hologic sold 100 QDRsystems in France during its first year in that market, said S.David Ellenbogen, president of the Waltham, MA, firm.

Establishing a direct presence in Europe marks a shift forHologic. The bone densitometer firm has sold its systems in Europesince 1988 using GE, Siemens and local dealers. Hologic Europewill provide support to distributors, dealers and end users, Ellenbogensaid.