GCX considers the Brabant concept as a worldwide model

GCX designs and manufactures an extraordinary range of products and is on an equally extraordinary mission. The Petaluma, California (Just North of San Francisco), company manufactures mounting solutions for medical equipment and IT hardware. With ‘only’ 200 employees, GCX is a relatively small company, but nevertheless it still holds a leading international position. Its clientele list includes some of the world’s biggest manufacturers of medical equipment, like Philips, Dräger and General Electric. You would be hard-pressed to find a modern hospital that does not contain GCX mounting devices in its operation theatres and intensive care departments and other clinical areas.

GCX was established in 1971, after which it focused on customer needs to achieve continuous growth, its success undiminished to this day. Customer-orientation and strength in innovation are the primary foundations of its success story. Aside from standard products, GCX also manufactures a highly diverse range of customised solutions. The company aspires to not only satisfy requirements for technology, lifespan and styling, but also the latest ergonomic conditions.

In 2005 GCX went in search of a location for its European offices. Up to that time the company had operated solely from the US. “Get closer to the customer” became the adage, while considerations of logistics and efficiency also played a role. Aside from the US and Asia, GCX also had many important customers in Europe. The company opted to focus on the continent instead of the United Kingdom. “We ultimately settled on the Netherlands because the people here live and in a manner relatively similar to the way Americans do” says Business Unit Manager Brad Cohen. “Many Dutch people speak excellent English. Moreover, we are very taken with the quality and availability of the services we require.” Cohen, accompanied by the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency and the Brabant Development Agency, visited a variety of locations, eventually opting for ’s-Hertogenbosch in Brabant. This has now become GCX’s centre for its EMEA - Europe, Middle East and Africa - marketing and sales activities. Its logistics partner is the Tilburg-based company, MOL Logistics. Brad Cohen is convinced that GCX’s decision to locate itself in Brabant was a smart one, and thus also a wise investment. “We are very close to the Port of Rotterdam and access is excellent. And further, ’s-Hertogenbosch is a fantastic city to live and work in.”

GCX continues to grow at a rapid rate in Europe. Meanwhile serious thought is being given in the US to expanding the GCX distribution network, with Taiwan coming under consideration as the primary location. “In this, we can make excellent use of our experiences in the Netherlands,” says Cohen. “The Brabant concept is thus actually a worldwide model.”