A letter from the Hohensteins
A Letter from the Hohenstein’s,
We hope by now you've had a chance to read the recent letter from MDL Solutions Inc., dba Emergent Respiratory, about the recent changes in Emergent's operations and MDL’s relatively recent acquisition. We wanted to take this opportunity to share more about our history in the medical device industry, and our family's broader history of service to the community.
So many of you put your hard-earned trust into the hands of Next Life Medical. We think it’s only fair to share a bit of background on why, back in 2016, they placed their trust in us to manufacture the Emergent PortO2 Vent CPAP, and how, over time, they handed off more and more responsibility until ultimately selling Emergent to us in full.
Like many of yours, our family’s story is one of service and purpose, instilled in us by those who came before. It began with generations who worked on farms, feeding their communities and raising their families with a quiet sense of responsibility.
In the years that followed, several went on to serve in the armed forces, including the Marines, Navy SEALs, and Coast Guard. After their service, they continued contributing through careers in education and engineering, becoming public school teachers and technical professionals, while staying rooted in their communities through farming, family life, and a continued commitment to public service.
Those same ethics carried into the next generation, guiding their work across major programs for the Department of Defense and NASA. Their contributions supported both national security and scientific advancement, while helping to strengthen the country’s role on the global stage. Along the way, they gained deep experience across engineering, manufacturing, and business operations. These experiences ultimately laid the foundation for the ownership and leadership of Lakewood Products, MDL Solutions, and later, the stewardship of Emergent Respiratory.
The legacy continues. One of us serves patients directly as a healthcare provider, while others carry those same values of service into their work at Lakewood, Emergent, and the medical device community more broadly. It’s through that work, and through listening to our customers, that we’ve built our reputation of service and support to the people and organizations who count on us.
Through every generation, the goal has remained the same: to contribute where we can, to care for our community with empathy, and to lead with integrity. We are proud to carry that forward.
We’d like to close with one last note about Lakewood Products, the sister company to Emergent Respiratory. Many of you may recognize the name. From 2017 until the acquisition was finalized in 2023, Lakewood was responsible for manufacturing all CPAPs purchased or serviced through Emergent. Lakewood - MDL began managing the majority of circuit distribution starting in 2020.
This partnership marked the beginning of our involvement with Emergent Respiratory, and ultimately led to MDL’s deeper commitment to this space and the full acquisition of the company.
Our family is now approaching 20 years of ownership at Lakewood. In the summer of 2007, we were part of the team that purchased the company with a clear and simple mission: Deliver consistency. Lower cost. Make improvements.
If there’s one thing we hope you take away from this letter, through our nearly two decades in this industry, and many more in the public sector, it’s that this mission has never been just a slogan. We are as committed to this company, this product line, our customers, and our coworkers as we are to each other.
We cannot thank you enough for your support, for the work you do in your own communities, and for the trust you place in us.
It is a privilege to serve you.
— The Hohensteins