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Eastern Distributing offers PERS via SafetyCare

Eastern Distributing offers PERS via SafetyCare

MAHWAH, N.J.--Eastern Distributing on Sept. 17 announced a deal with SafetyCare to carry SafetyCare’s Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS) products. As part of the agreement, Eastern Distributing will offer before- and after-sale technical support for sales teams and will also train and certify dealers and resellers at its eight national locations. “We looked at [SafetyCare’s] facility and they’re ahead of the curve when it comes to other central stations in the channel,” said Nick Scarane, executive VP at Eastern Distributing. Scarane said that the edge SafetyCare brings is huge. “You’re getting an experienced individual on the phone who already understands the situation and can begin making recommendations right away.” Scarane also noted that SafetyCare’s exclusive focus on the PERS market was an attraction for Eastern Distribution. “Their focus is on the PERS part of the business,“ he said. “This is a product that over the next five or six years is going to be an extremely large growth market.” Joe Russotto, outside regional sales manager for Eastern Distributing said, “We have the ability, through technology, to keep track of a senior parent and maybe keep them out of an assisted living facility for six months or a year and a half, which could be huge, with the cost of that type of care.” Eastern Distributing was to begin selling SafetyCare’s call boxes, sold under the names EMT Link and EMT Link Plus, at the beginning of the fourth quarter. The systems have exclusive access to the SafetyCare Response Center, which is staffed with emergency medical technicians. Scarane said that the partnership is good financial news. “This partnership adds another channel of RMR to the residential market. SafetyCare is a great tool to help dealers close sales.” Scarane said that pricing on the EMT Link and EMT Link Plus systems would be “extremely competitive on the dealer side.” He said that from a retail standpoint, end users could expect to pay anywhere between $24.95 and $34.95 a month, depending on what elements are included. Mike Bodnar, general manager at SafetyCare, said the marriage with Eastern Distribution made sense. “From our point of view, we were at a disadvantage getting our product out quickly.” Eastern Distributing’s reach, Bodnar says, will help the channel by cutting distribution costs. “We now have a channel in the network that can get our product out much more quickly. There will be a large savings in shipping.”

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