Supply Line

Mike Vogel | 10/1/2010

Holly Clark pitches products for Liberator Medical Supply.

TV viewers who watch certain programs at certain hours know Holly Clark even if they don't know her by name. She's the lady in the commercials with the 800 number talking about what a difference new catheters made in her life. "I was so sick of boiling and drying and reusing old catheters. Plus, I was getting urinary tract infections. Then my mom called. She read about Liberator Medical Supply."

Mark Libratore sees 40 million potential customers thanks to Obamacare.

Founder Mark Libratore launched Stuart-based Liberator Medical in 1999, using a direct-to-consumer model that targets Medicare-eligible seniors. He used the same model at an earlier company, Liberty Medical, that he sold and now is a Port St. Lucie-based unit of Medco. At Liberator, he's had 10 straight quarters of revenue growth, and annualized revenue is around $42 million. Its 2009 profit was $2.2 million. He employs 210, mostly in call center work, and expects to hire lots more.

Libratore, 59, owns nearly half the shares. He made $363,970 last year in salary, option awards and other compensation.

The business has advantages. Though customers are expensive to acquire in the fragmented industry, once Liberator lands them and gets their prescriptions, they stick. Obamacare means 40 million more potential customers with insurance. Libratore sees a tidal wave of Boomers ahead needing diabetic, ostomy and catheter supplies. To be successful, he just needs "a small fraction of the customers out there, a very small fraction."

Clark helps get them — a "phenomenal spokesman," Libratore says.

Tags: Southeast