The Mercator Medical Group is a manufacturer of medical gloves and a distributor of single-use medical materials. With nearly thirty years of experience, it is a recognised brand in the medical industry, based on Polish capital. As a manufacturer it sells to almost 70 countries worldwide, and as a distributor it operates in the markets of Europe. It is one of the most important players in Poland and a major player in the international arena, with systematic geographical expansion in single-use product markets. It offers around 120 own products and products of internationally renowned brands.
Mercator Medical Group
The information in this section summarises the history of the Mercator Medical Group to date. It is here that we answer questions about who we are and what market we operate on, and what values drive our business. We also present information on the Group’s structure, ISO management system, as well as the awards and distinctions we have been honoured with in recent years.
Who we are
Composition of the Mercator Medical Group
The Mercator Medical Group consists of the parent company Mercator Medical and its subsidiaries. The parent company coordinates and supervises the operations of individual subsidiaries as a decision-making body for matters concerning the development and implementation of the company’s strategy. The most important subsidiaries of Mercator Medical S.A. are:
- Mercator Medical (Thailand) Ltd. based in Thailand
- Mercator Medical TOB based in Ukraine
- Mercator Medical s.r.l. based in Romania
- Mercator Medical s.r.o. based in the Czech Republic
- Mercator Medical KFT. based in Hungary
- Mercator Medical GmbH based in Germany
- Mercator Medical Italia Srl based in Italy
Mercator Medical products reach all continents, especially North America, as well as countries where demand for single-use materials is growing rapidly as the occupational health and safety awareness increases (South America, Asia, Middle East countries).
The European part of the Group is focused on the promotion and sale of single-use medical devices – mainly gloves, single-use clothing and surgical draping. It has an organised distribution in the Czech Republic and Slovakia and trading partners in the UK, Bulgaria, Italy, Serbia, Georgia, Lithuania, Belarus and other European countries.
The Asian part of the company focuses on the manufacture and container sale of examination gloves intended for dentists, veterinary practitioners and other health care professionals, as well as technical gloves designed to protect the hands of automotive, food and heavy industry workers. Mercator Medical (Thailand) Ltd. acquires contractors all over the world.
Globally, Mercator Medical customers are healthcare units, industrial plants, retail chains and pharmaceutical wholesalers.
The seat of the management board of Mercator Medical S.A., which also coordinates the operations of other subsidiaries, as well as the most important departments supporting the Group’s service, is located in Krakow.
The Logistics Centre and Customer Service Department of Mercator Medical S.A. are located in Brześć Kujawski. The former serves as a buffer storage for a part of the deliveries for foreign distribution companies, and is also responsible for the execution of orders on the Polish and foreign markets. The Customer Service Department is dedicated to professional and comprehensive service of individual customers and institutions. In October 2019, Mercator Medical S.A. signed an agreement with Yusen Logistics to acquire new storage space in a new warehouse at the container terminal in Gdańsk.
What market we operate on?
The Mercator Medical Group has been successful in the global medical glove market dominated by Asian companies, selling to nearly 70 countries with 2% share in the global market.
Global market growth factors
- No direct substitutes for single-use medical gloves.
- Expected further growth of the gloves market driven by an increasing number of treatments, higher level of awareness and tightened regulations.
- The growing problem of infectious diseases:
- increasing number of cases of hepatitis B and C, HIV and other infectious diseases,
- increasing number of cases of infectious diseases and infections in hospitals,
- a trend of „double gloving”. - Growth of the medical sector:
- reforms of healthcare systems, ageing society and development of advanced technologies;
- growing health care standards and tightened regulations;
- expected increase in health care spending due to the convergence of emerging and developed countries’ markets and the growing demand for health care.
The structure of the Group
Mercator Medical S.A. is a company that has been operating in the European medical market for years. It was the foundation for the Mercator Medical Group, in which the most important subsidiaries are:
- The Mercator Medical Group companies are present in the following countries:
- Poland
- Czech Republic
- Thailand
- Romania
- Ukraine
- Hungary
- Italy
- Germany
- Sales distribution by the Mercator Group branches
- Sales covered by the factory in Thailand
History of the Group
The history of the Mercator Medical Group dates back to 1989, when Piotr and Wiesław Żyznowski founded Firma Handlowa „Mercator” Żyznowski i Spółka, Spółka Jawna. Then, in 1993, Mercator Med. S.A. was established as a public limited company, from which the independent companies Mercator Papier S.A., Mercator Medical S.A. and Mercator Poligrafia S.A. sprang up in the following years.
Mercator Medical S.A. has been active as an independent entity on the market of medical devices since 1996. Initially, the company focused exclusively on medical and protective gloves. In response to customer needs and as a result of continuous development, the product range has been extended to include dressings, single-use clothing and surgical draping.
As the product portfolio developed, areas of activity extended as well.
In 2004, the company started to develop direct distribution in Hungary and Ukraine, and in 2006 in Romania as well, setting up a branch in Budapest and subsidiaries in Kiev and Cluj-Napoca. In 2006, Mercator Medical S.A. decided to purchase shares in a company located in Thailand which manufactured medical gloves. This acquisition resulted in the establishment of Mercator Medical (Thailand) Ltd.
On 21 November 2013, Mercator Medical S.A. made its debut on the Main List of the Warsaw Stock Exchange.
2015 turned out to be another milestone for our company. In April, Mercator Medical OOO started its operations on the Russian market, which allowed for the dynamization of direct sales to other countries across the eastern borders. The group has also grown to include a company in the Czech Republic - Mercator Medical s.r.o. and the subsidiary Mercator Medical based in the USA.
In 2016, the company carried out a further issue of shares which were subscribed for by stock exchange investors. In 2017, a Mercator Medical company was launched in Italy.
In 2017, Mercator Medical (Thailand) Ltd. started building another nitrile glove factory in Thailand, which commenced its operations already in 2018. In 2019, the Group decided to set up a company in Germany.
Today, products of the Mercator Medical Group are present on all continents. With the distribution of gloves purchased from external suppliers, the Group’s total sales potential can be estimated at around 6 billion gloves per year.
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Our mission
What really is the mission of the company? For us, this is something that allows us to move in the right direction. This is possible thanks to three strategic principles that we successfully implement:
- We are and want to continue working in the long term to prevent contamination and infections in a manner that is innovative and profitable.
- We are committed to offering products that provide the highest level of safety and comfort for their end users, i.e. our customers.
- We educate and encourage everyone to utilise single-use personal protective products. Self-care is a priority for each of us and – with our work – we hope to make it easier for everyone!
Our vision
What is our vision? We want the Mercator Medical Group to be a global company that manufactures gloves and other single-use materials to prevent infections, increasing the protection, safety and comfort of users. We believe that we will become a leading player in the sector of protective and medical devices in Europe, through organic growth and strategic alliances. This is why we are pursuing a successful geographical expansion and are developing our product portfolio to be innovative and fully responsive to the current needs. We not only want to deliver the highest quality products and services, but also provide our customers with the knowledge on how to protect themselves from these infections, and build long-term relationships with them based on mutual trust and experience.
Key values:
In all aspects of our business we adhere to the principles of ethics, openness and transparency.
Respect for others
Employees, contractors, partners and stakeholders are extremely important to us. We are committed to maintaining good relationships and adhering to the principles of fair competition. We value privacy.
Clear communication
Internal and external communication in the Group is transparent, open, clear and meaningful. We share information that contributes to the development of individual companies.
Managing empowerment to achieve the purpose
We delegate our powers, based on experience, skills and knowledge. Our actions are focused on achieving the intended goal. Growth is the most important thing for us. All persons associated with the Group are responsible for it.
Market-based customer focus
We listen to the needs of customers. We offer reliable, expert information and professional support. We share knowledge and experience, we offer support. We monitor our actions and fulfil our commitments.
We respond to key needs
Our products are essential to everyday life and extremely useful.
We combine the characteristics of a private company and a corporation
We try to combine the entrepreneurial spirit characteristic of private business owners with corporate best practices that are found in systemically organised companies, independent in their operations from their owners or shareholders.
Local patriotism
Our industry and specialisation require activity in many countries. We want to cultivate the local character wherever we are – and reconcile the necessary corporate centralisation with the local conditions.
Quality Management System – ISO
In order to satisfy all legal and regulatory requirements and, above all, customer expectations for the highest quality, functionality and safety of the products delivered, we have implemented and maintain a Quality Management System at the company that complies with EN ISO 9001:2015 and EN ISO 13485:2016, which we continue to enhance.
ISO 9001
ISO 9001 is currently the most popular management system standard, with over 1,100,000 certified organisations in 180 countries. ISO 9001 certification is addressed to companies that want to confirm their compliance with the standard and demonstrate consistent company improvement. ISO 9001:2015 is the latest version of this quality trend-setting standard. It indicates risk management that may impact the organisation’s achievement of its goals, process approach and customer orientation as key factors to ensuring system effectiveness. The organisation should consider the customer as the most important actor in the process of improving the quality of products and services.
ISO 13485
The ISO 13485 standard is an extension of the requirements of ISO 9001 in respect of the medical devices sector. It is focused primarily on the safety of devices. It also sets out the requirements for medical devices, and its purpose is to ensure the highest quality of devices and their compliance with legal requirements and customer expectations.
Certificates
The following certificates are a proof of the quality management system conformity with the requirements of the above standards:
Certification:
PN-EN ISO 9001:2015
for the manufacture of medical (examination, surgical) gloves, household gloves, dressing materials, single-use surgical drapes and personal protective equipment. Purchase, storage and distribution as well as domestic and international sales of medical gloves, household gloves, dressing materials, single-use nonwoven medical clothing, single-use surgical drapes and personal protective equipment.
Certification:
PN-EN ISO13485:2016
for the manufacture of medical (examination, surgical) gloves, dressing materials and single-use surgical drapes. Purchase, storage and distribution as well as domestic and international sales of medical gloves, dressing materials, single-use nonwoven medical clothing, and single-use surgical drapes.
Certification:
CE according to 93/42/EEC
We also have CE certification in accordance with Medical Directive 93/42/EEC to certify the quality assurance system in production and final inspection of sterile and non-sterile dressing materials, surgical drapes and surgical gloves.
The acquired certificates allow customers to be sure that the product they purchase complies with the European Union regulations and meets the requirements in terms of safety, environmental protection and user health.
For Mercator Medical S.A., they are a valuable asset in maintaining and acquiring new customers in the future, and a proof that our company belongs to the elite group of top quality manufacturers.
Awards and distinctions
We are constantly developing, creating stable foundations for the future. Our achievements are appreciated in Poland and abroad. The Mercator Medical Group continues to receive more prestigious awards and distinctions.
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