Medical, Dental, and Hospital Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
Description
This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in the merchant wholesale distribution of professional medical equipment, instruments, and supplies (except ophthalmic equipment and instruments and goods used by ophthalmologists, optometrists, and opticians). Illustrative Examples: Dental equipment and supplies merchant wholesalers Surgical dressings merchant wholesalers Electromedical equipment merchant wholesalers Patient monitoring equipment merchant wholesalers Hospital beds merchant wholesalers Prosthetic appliances and supplies merchant wholesalers Hospital furniture merchant wholesalers Surgical instruments and apparatus merchant wholesalers Medical and dental X-ray machines and parts merchant wholesalers First-aid kits (except household) merchant wholesalers Surgical and medical masks merchant wholesalers
Hierarchy
| Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 42 | Wholesale Trade 2-digit sector | The Sector as a Whole The Wholesale Trade sector comprises establishments engaged in wholesaling merchandise, generally without transformation, and rendering services incidental to the sale of merchandise. The merchandise described in this sector includes the outputs of agriculture, mining, manufacturing, and certain information industries, such as publishing. The wholesaling process is an intermediate step in the distribution of merchandise. Wholesalers are organized to sell or arrange the purchase or sale of (a) goods for resale (i.e., goods sold to other wholesalers or retailers), (b) capital or durable nonconsumer goods, and (c) raw and intermediate materials and supplies used in production. Wholesalers sell merchandise to other businesses and normally operate from a warehouse or office. These warehouses and offices are characterized by having little or no display of merchandise. In addition, neither the design nor the location of the premises is intended to solicit walk-in traffic. Wholesalers do not normally use advertising directed to the general public. Customers are generally reached initially via telephone, in-person marketing, or by specialized advertising that may include Internet and other electronic means. Follow-up orders are either vendor-initiated or client-initiated, generally based on previous sales, and typically exhibit strong ties between sellers and buyers. In fact, transactions are often conducted between wholesalers and clients that have long-standing business relationships. This sector comprises two main types of wholesalers: merchant wholesalers that sell goods on their own account and agents and brokers that arrange sales and purchases for others generally for a commission or fee. (1) Establishments that sell goods on their own account are known as wholesale merchants, distributors, jobbers, drop shippers, and import/export merchants. Also included as wholesale merchants are sales offices and sales branches (but not retail stores) maintained by manufacturing, refining, or mining enterprises apart from their plants or mines for the purpose of marketing their products, and group purchasing organizations primarily purchasing and selling goods on their own account. Merchant wholesale establishments typically maintain their own warehouse, where they receive and handle goods for their customers. Goods are generally sold without transformation, but may include integral functions, such as sorting, packaging, labeling, and other marketing services. (2) Establishments arranging for the purchase or sale of goods owned by others or purchasing goods, generally on a commission basis are known as business-to-business electronic markets, agents and brokers, commission merchants, import/export agents and brokers, auction companies, group purchasing organizations (acting as agents), and manufacturers' representatives. These establishments operate from offices and generally do not own or handle the goods they sell. Some wholesale establishments may be connected with a single manufacturer and promote and sell the particular manufacturer's products to a wide range of other wholesalers or retailers. Other wholesalers may be connected to a retail chain, or limited number of retail chains, and only provide a variety of products needed by that particular retail operation(s). These wholesalers may obtain the products from a wide range of manufacturers. Still other wholesalers may not take title to the goods, but act as agents and brokers for a commission. Although, in general, wholesaling normally denotes sales in large volumes, durable nonconsumer goods may be sold in single units. Sales of capital or durable nonconsumer goods used in the production of goods and services, such as farm machinery, medium- and heavy-duty trucks, and industrial machinery, are always included in wholesale trade. |
| 423 | Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods 3-digit subsector | Industries in the Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods subsector sell capital or durable goods to other businesses. Merchant wholesalers generally take title to the goods that they sell; in other words, they buy and sell goods on their own account. Durable goods are new or used items generally with a normal life expectancy of three years or more. Durable goods merchant wholesale trade establishments are engaged in wholesaling products, such as motor vehicles, furniture, construction materials, machinery and equipment (including household-type appliances), metals and minerals (except petroleum), sporting goods, toys and hobby goods, recyclable materials, and parts. Agents and brokers primarily engaged in wholesaling durable goods, generally on a commission or fee basis, are classified in Subsector 425, Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers. |
| 4234 | Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers 4-digit industry group | This industry group comprises establishments primarily engaged in the merchant wholesale distribution of photographic equipment and supplies; office, computer, and computer peripheral equipment; and medical, dental, hospital, ophthalmic, and other commercial and professional equipment and supplies. |
| 42345 | Medical, Dental, and Hospital Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers 5-digit NAICS industry | See industry description for 423450. |
| 423450 | Medical, Dental, and Hospital Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers 6-digit U.S. detail | This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in the merchant wholesale distribution of professional medical equipment, instruments, and supplies (except ophthalmic equipment and instruments and goods used by ophthalmologists, optometrists, and opticians). Illustrative Examples: Dental equipment and supplies merchant wholesalers Surgical dressings merchant wholesalers Electromedical equipment merchant wholesalers Patient monitoring equipment merchant wholesalers Hospital beds merchant wholesalers Prosthetic appliances and supplies merchant wholesalers Hospital furniture merchant wholesalers Surgical instruments and apparatus merchant wholesalers Medical and dental X-ray machines and parts merchant wholesalers First-aid kits (except household) merchant wholesalers Surgical and medical masks merchant wholesalers |
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Classification References
- 01Merchant wholesale distribution of professional equipment, instruments, and/or goods sold, prescribed, or used by ophthalmologists, optometrists, and opticians--are classified in Industry 423460, Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers;
- 02Merchant wholesale distribution of personal safety devices and supplies (e.g., eye shields, face shields, nonelectric respirators)--are classified in Industry 423990, Other Miscellaneous Durable Goods Merchant Wholesalers; and
- 03Merchant wholesale distribution of household first-aid kits and nonsurgical bandages--are classified in Industry 424210, Drugs and Druggists' Sundries Merchant Wholesalers.
Index Items
Appliances, surgical, merchant wholesalers
Artificial limbs merchant wholesalers
Beds, hospital, merchant wholesalers
Crutches merchant wholesalers
Dental chairs merchant wholesalers
Dental equipment and supplies merchant wholesalers
Dentists' professional supplies merchant wholesalers
Diagnostic equipment, medical, merchant wholesalers
Dressings, medical, merchant wholesalers
Electromedical equipment merchant wholesalers
First-aid kits (except household) merchant wholesalers
Glassware, medical, merchant wholesalers
Hearing aids merchant wholesalers
Home health care supplies merchant wholesalers
Hospital beds merchant wholesalers
Hospital equipment and supplies merchant wholesalers
Hospital furniture merchant wholesalers
Hospital gowns merchant wholesalers
Instruments, dental and medical, merchant wholesalers
Laboratory equipment, dental and medical, merchant wholesalers
Medical equipment merchant wholesalers
Medical furniture merchant wholesalers
Medical glassware merchant wholesalers
Medical instruments merchant wholesalers
Medical supplies (except household first-aid kits and nonsurgical bandages) merchant wholesalers
Orthopedic equipment and supplies merchant wholesalers
Patient monitoring equipment merchant wholesalers
Physicians' equipment and supplies merchant wholesalers
Prosthetic appliances and supplies merchant wholesalers
Surgical and medical masks merchant wholesalers
Surgical appliances merchant wholesalers
Surgical dressings merchant wholesalers
Surgical instruments and apparatus merchant wholesalers
Surgical supplies merchant wholesalers
Surgical towels merchant wholesalers
Tapes, medical and surgical, merchant wholesalers
Teeth, dental, merchant wholesalers
Therapy equipment merchant wholesalers
Thermometers merchant wholesalers
Towels, surgical, merchant wholesalers
Ultrasound equipment, medical, merchant wholesalers
Wheelchairs merchant wholesalers
Whirlpool baths, hospital, merchant wholesalers
X-ray machines and parts, medical and dental, merchant wholesalers
How Item Can Help
Streamlines the storage and tracking of diverse medical and dental equipment to reduce inventory errors and spoilage risks in specialized facilities.
Optimizes order fulfillment across multiple channels by automating the routing of complex, high-value equipment requests to the nearest available stock.
Predicts demand surges for seasonal or post-pandemic medical supplies and identifies slow-moving inventory to minimize capital tied up in outdated stock.
External Resources
Census.gov NAICS Detail
Official US Census Bureau definition and scope for NAICS 423450.
National Association for Medical Device Manufacturers
Industry association representing manufacturers of medical equipment and devices
U.S. Census Bureau Industry Classification
Official government resource for the full definition and list of NAICS codes including 423450
Wholesale Directory
Industry directory listing wholesale suppliers of medical, dental, and hospital equipment
