Osteon Medical bites into export market
Published on 18 August 2021
Osteon Medical is on the move, literally and figuratively.
The dental implant prosthetic manufacturer, whose innovative products are made using cutting-edge digital techniques, has outgrown its Clayton premises and moved to Mulgrave. It’s also on track to increase its exports from 15 to 30 per cent within two years.
Driving this growth is a desire to deliver better treatment outcomes through the design and manufacture of improved devices for use in implant dentistry and maxillofacial surgery.
Michael Tuckman, Founder and Managing Director of Osteon Medical, began work as a dental technician but it wasn’t long before he developed ideas on how dental implant prosthetics and solutions could be improved.
So, Michael went to Swinburne University to study engineering and through its Advanced Manufacturing and Design Centre, in 2007 prototyped and developed the system used by Osteon Medical today.
Five years later the company secured its first export order, and now its products are sold into Asia, South Africa and New Zealand.
In 2021, Osteon’s production facility in Osaka, Japan, became operational, aiming to service the growing Asian market.
2018 Award Winner
Achieving accolades such as 2018 Manufacturer of the Year in the Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame Awards is also providing increased recognition.
“We were runner-up last year and this year our entry in the Victorian Government’s Business Victoria awards saw us take out the top award in our category.
“I’d encourage any manufacturer to enter such awards as the process of reviewing the business is valuable in itself,” Michael said.
While Osteon has to source medical-grade titanium from overseas, it uses local suppliers for other materials and machinery.
Staff also live locally, the main reason Osteon’s new premises will be only four minutes away.
A grant awarded in August 2018 as part of the Victorian Government’s Future Industries Manufacturing Program will aid this growth.
The grant will contribute to new technology and a novel device that Osteon is developing under a new $569,000 project, which commits the company to three new employees within 24 months.
“It’s great to know we have the support of our dental industry, Monash Council and the Victorian Government, which understands the challenges manufacturers face and has helped us greatly in navigating through some of those issues,” Michael added.
For more information, visit www.osteonmedical.com