EGAN Medical, a leading supplier of medical supplies,
equipment, orthopedic, maternity care and other health care products has announced the grand opening of the
company's newest addition, a shipping and e-commerce order fulfillment center
located in downtown Long Beach, Mississippi. Unlike the company's
long-established brick-and-mortar storefront in Covington, LA, the new facility
will not be open to walk-in traffic. Rather, its purpose will be to serve as staging-grounds
for the processing and shipping of orders, as well as a customer service center
for internet-based shoppers. The medical equipment and supply firm's Covington
storefront will remain open to walk-ins, while the Mississippi location will
specialize in assisting online customers, promptly shipping online orders and
managing the company's e-commerce inventory.
Long Beach was chosen as the location for the firm's second
location due to its scenic beauty, warm, sunny weather and its proximity to the
beach itself. EGAN Medical executive director Peter Egan has an outspoken
fondness of the beach, sun and fishing, and Long Beach offered enough of all
three to lure him away from Louisiana to the Mississippi coast for his personal
residence. Rather than continue to commute three hours each day round-trip, Egan
decided to place a stronger emphasis on e-commerce, opening the order
fulfillment center just a four-minute drive from his home. This constitutes a dramatic transition in the firm's core business model, representing a brazen attempt to convert from being a strategically located brick-and-mortar medical equipment company located next to St. Tammany Parish Hospital to being a competitor on the national stage and on the internet.
Despite the company's increased emphasis on online sales and the opening of the new Mississippi coast facility, the changes do not amount to a move away from Louisiana or away from servicing the medical equipment and supply needs of Washington and St. Tammany Parish residents. A company spokesman issued a statement assuring Louisiana
residents that the medical equipment store they've come to depend on will remain
open for the foreseeable future, and that the company has no imminent plans for
a permanent move, nor any plans to close the Louisiana storefront.
As always, shipping is free for Louisiana residents who select 'Free In-Store Pickup' from the shipping menu. Customers who choose to take advantage of this offer are asked to refrain from actually driving to the store to pick up their purchases. Virtually all orders placed online are shipped out within 1-2 business days of purchase, and customers who buy online will receive their items by mail or other home (or business) delivery. Across-the-board free shipping offer is only valid for residents of Louisiana and coastal Mississippi (counties which border the Gulf of Mexico).
Customers outside of Louisiana and Mississippi may still order online via the Egan Medical website, and Egan still offers shipping to all 50 U.S. states and Canada.
