Read the Conversation
EF: What was the reason for founding Antar twenty-five years ago? What opportunity did you see in the orthopedic industry?
AT: It wasn’t exactly planned from the beginning to get where we are. I come from a family that works in the medical device industry. My mother introduced me to a company that was willing to enter the Polish Market, and this was how I got into the industry. As time went by, I continued working with other companies distributing in Poland.
During this journey, we have navigated through multiple challenges. One of them was the Polish healthcare system’s implementation of public insurance. Insurance is still underfinanced and growing slowly compared to market needs, but luckily, has been growing along with us. The government is working toward improving the system, but there is still a lot to be done and much room for improvement. We have a new law regarding orthopedic devices, which marks huge progress. The second huge challenge we faced was when we decided to make the company international, as entering foreign markets is always challenging. We have moved into various markets and have a good presence in Europe.
We are a Polish company that manufactures locally in Szydłowiec that, in 2005, decided to enter the Czech Republic market; currently, we are one of the leaders in the orthopedic market there. In 2009, we opened offices in Slovakia and Belarus, and these two markets are also important to Antar, holding strong positions in both countries. However, we currently face challenges in Belarus due to the geopolitical situation and the Russia-Ukraine war. In 2013, we opened an affiliate in Berlin, Germany, and we also supply most European companies through distributors. In terms of the future, we are always looking for new distributors, expanding the range of products we manufacture, and we want to take the company to other countries such as the United States and India.
EF: What do you find most exciting about the new Polish regulation framework?
AT: The regulatory framework has been modernized to match today's market. Before, it covered products that were already obsolete, whereas now it covers modern and new products, a trend that currently exists in all industries where modernization is key. We have made huge steps forward compared with other European countries, such as the Czech Republic or Slovakia. We have made huge steps forward compared with other European countries, such as the Czech Republic or Slovakia.
EF: There is a benefit to Poland of local manufacturing, but what is your greatest contribution to the Polish economy?
AT: The employment of Polish people is one of Antar's biggest contributions. Our plant is located near Radom, 150 km South of Warsaw, and the area has the lowest unemployment rate in Poland, and the area has the lowest unemployment rate in Poland.
EF: What makes you the partner of choice of many companies?
AT: We choose our suppliers, and regarding customers, we provide a huge range of products. We cover a broad scope and many needs, so it is inevitable for other companies to look for us. We are among the most innovative companies, always introducing new ideas in our products; even when we are not innovating within our product lines, we are always adding something new, looking to answer customers' needs.
EF: How do you evaluate the importance of educating patients and physicians in using orthopedic products, and what are you doing to advance this, other than participating in fairs?
AT: We inform and educate the people who help patients find the right product and how to install it. In Poland, we educate medical staff in medical stores because they have to choose the best product for the patient and teach them how to use it. In the Czech Republic and Slovakia, because the market is different, we work on educating the physicians as they decide which product to use, so they must know what to recommend and show the patient how they should use the product. We adapt what and who we teach in each country to have the best reach for our products.
EF: Does your portfolio vary in each country, or do you have one portfolio that you distribute over Europe?
AT: We have one portfolio for all, but certain countries tend to want certain products. When we introduce a new product into our portfolio, it is available everywhere, and anybody can access any article regardless of the country. However, certain countries are interested in different products. For example, we introduced pneumatic boots in Poland, which were very popular for many years. In contrast, they were virtually unknown in the Czech Republic until they suddenly became popular there.
EF: Is there any product that has an especially high demand, a star product?
AT: Since introducing electric wheelchairs, they have become our star product. Electric wheelchairs were a luxury product until we presented a product that is available and affordable to most people, and since then, it has become the company's star product. However, this can change; it could be a completely different product in a few years.
EF: What quality assurance measures do you implement in your product lines, for example, in your Antar Blue Line, which is your flagship line?
AT: That line is a class one medical device, and before we can launch it, it must pass the medical device approval procedure, which involves meeting certain standards of safety and quality. Meeting all the ISO 13485 quality control standards takes time. There is also a quality design process to ensure it is safe. First, we have the quality control in production, then the design, comfort, and safety control. We often change products in response to consumer demands; after we launch a product, customers give us feedback on what can be improved, and many times, we adjust the product with small modifications.
EF: Antar is a local success story; what would be your advice to other companies interested in doing something similar in your sector in Poland?
AT: Poland is not an easy market; the road to success is varied, and companies have alternative incentives and ways to achieve their goals, but we tend to diversify. I advise going into a large range of products; our way of doing things is always to try to introduce something new.
EF: Our report is called "Road Map to Sustainable Healthcare." What would be your three main pillars to build a sustainable future for healthcare?”
AT: My first pillar would be innovation; my second would be competitive pricing (affordability), an especially important factor in Poland, and my third would be quality and design, a smart product. Price is important in Poland, whereas, in other countries, more attention is paid to quality and design. In Poland, innovation is important; people like new products, and when we launch new products, they go to market faster, but they have to be attractive in price. We want them to look nice, but price is always the deciding factor, so we aim to create something attractive and affordable.
EF: You will be celebrating the company's twenty-fifth anniversary soon; after all these years, what are you most proud of achieving? After all these years, what are you most proud of achieving?
AT: We are proud to have gone international and opened our way in Central Europe. We believe we have the potential to expand to the United States and India. Outside Europe, people react differently to European products; they have value in themselves, and even if they are more expensive and not everyone can afford them, they hold prestige for many. Especially outside the European Union, people like having things from Europe, not China.
