SOLO LABORATORIES IS COMMITTED TO PPMA MEMBERS FOR THE LONG RUN

BACKGROUND

SOLO Laboratories has long sponsored The Goldfarb Foundation and its events. The PA-based small business is committed to supporting our association and its members in the long run.

With SOLO’s custom orthotics being manufactured and serviced in our home state of Pennsylvania, the PPMA team decided to visit SOLO Laboratories in the PA Dutch town of Kutztown and learn more about their footprint to share with our members. PPMA caught up with the organization's leadership team, Jaimyn, Kent, and Jon, who hosted us to tour the lab and its offices.

HISTORY

We learned that SOLO Laboratories was founded in 1983 by Barry Sokol, an entrepreneur with a background in orthotics labs and medical sales experience; Mr. Sokol had a passion for service. The company’s name is an acronym for Serve Others Love Others (SOLO), which is expressed in caring for their customers and employees.

MADE IN PA

While the company has grown since its humble beginnings in a shed, now occupying two buildings in Kutztown, evidence of SOLO’s mission is also carried out in how it treats its employees.

SOLO Labs has been awarded one of Pennsylvania's Top 50 Places to Work. Their skilled employees consistently meet and exceed production and quality standards, which includes a turnaround time of less than six days from receipt of the order until the UPS Tracking Number is assigned upon shipment to the customer, which is rather impressive for the team those crafts over 200 custom made orthotics daily for customers all over the United States.

SOLO customers include large healthcare networks and small podiatrist offices. Their presence has grown due to word of mouth amongst the podiatry community based upon the name they have made for themselves by providing an exceptional product and quality service that can be trusted.

TECHNOLOGY

To fulfill the company’s mission statement, the small business that started in a shed invested in improving its technology to exceed customer expectations.

PPMA members may be fascinated to learn more about this history as we have members who may have begun their career casting for custom orthotics and may still be doing so. An unknown fact is that SOLO Labs pioneered the TOM-CAT foot scanning system. The company has successfully lowered the entry barrier to foot scanning with an iOS application named viSo. The app can be downloaded at no cost to an iPad and used to scan for orthotics. Members can upload the scan, transferring this information instantly from the office to the lab, saving our members a ton of time and hassle in mailing orders and calling on the phone to ensure receipt. In addition to the time savings, our members can feel confident that these scans, which are as accurate as casting, will result in a custom-made orthotic being shipped within six days of receipt, which can be tracked via UPS. Our members can have the orthotics sent directly to the patient or our member’s office.

SOLO believes that this investment in technology will allow podiatrists to spend more time treating their patients while SOLO handles the lab work on their patient's behalf.

Podiatrists may schedule virtual in-services for training to help increase confidence when transitioning into a new technology. SOLO also provides free training to members who may not feel comfortable transitioning to using an application on an iPad as a scanner. SOLO provides order consultation via email and phone at their Kutztown location; additionally, an online portal is available to track order status, print invoices, and pay your bill.

The lab continues to investigate and acquire new technologies, such as 3D scanning and 3D printing, to continue achieving and improving results.

SOLO LABS BY THE NUMBERS

They craft over 200 pairs of orthotics daily by hand for patients throughout the United States. Customers include patients of independent podiatry offices and large healthcare networks.

Family-owned SOLO Labs has been manufacturing and developing new technologies based in Kutztown for over 40 years.

SOLO LABS CAN BENEFIT MEMBERS

Members who have a relationship with SOLO Labs benefit from adding a solid revenue stream, saving administrative time in managing orders, and confidently prescribing a product of excellent quality that the patient will benefit from for a long time. Additionally, PPMA members who work with SOLO Labs can feel confident that they are supporting a local business in Pennsylvania manufacturing a PA product that they stand behind while they are committed to continuing to serve PPMA members for some time.

Members who wish to learn more about how to work with SOLO Labs can visit their website at www.sololabs.com or call their office and speak with someone at 1-800-765-6522. The SOLO team is committed to supporting PPMA members, and custom orthotics are a way for the patient to experience relief from numerous conditions.