Innovation, Adaptation and Leadership– J. Morita USA, Inc.

Much like the South-ern California area where the J. Morita Group established its first U.S. office nearly 40 years ago, the multi-faceted dental supplier has grown and evolved in ways its founders couldn’t have imagined.Originally opened in 1964 as a North American “satellite” dental equipment sales outpost of the Japan-based J. Morita Corporation, J. Morita USA today serves North American dental professionals on behalf of one of the world’s largest manufacturers and distributors of innovative, high quality dental equipment and supplies. J. Morita Group’s sales growth and expanding share of the dental equipment and consumables markets can be traced to three key attributes: devotion to innovation in product design and development; the ability to adapt to changing market conditions; and a strong commitment to industry leadership.

These values have enabled the company to help define and shape the direction of dental health care. Through new ideas and product innovations, and top-quality customer service, J. Morita USA delivers real value to 60,000 dental-professionals throughout North America, and most importantly, enables them to better serve their patients.

Leading, Not Following–
Then and Now
J. Morita USA revolutionized the standard paradigm for patient care when it introduced the Spaceline Chair, permitting dental professionals to position patients horizontally and treat them from a sitting position. The company also was an early market-leader in distributing dental radiography machines. To dental professionals using other J. Morita products, including its highly unique and successful endodontic tools, these simple innovations would hardly seem remarkable. At the time, however, the Spaceline Chair System demonstrated J. Morita USA’s early leadership in dental equipment design standards.

“We take nothing for granted, but there is every reason to believe that J. Morita USA can continue to build on its past success. People should keep their eyes on us; we have ambitious plans,” Junichi Miyata President

“Our dedication to innovation and creativity has always set J. Morita USA apart in the dental equipment and supply market,” says company President Junichi Miyata, a 23-year veteran of the firm and head of U.S. operations since the early 1990’s. “We have never been content to be a “me-too” supplier, simply matching others’ ideas. One of our principle strengths is understanding the evolving needs of dental professionals, then finding and delivering products that meet those needs.”

Just as J. Morita delivered leading-edge equipment solutions in the 1960’s and 1970’s, the company has subsequently developed a series of innovative consumable products, and patented endodontic tools that no competitor has come close to matching.

J. Morita USA’s 30,000 sq ft corporate headquarters in Irvine, CA.

Staying close to the customer
Seeing things from the dental professional’s perspective makes obvious sense for a dental supply company, but J. Morita USA practices what it preaches, employing dentists and related health professionals in key positions.

“As a dentist, I am better able to understand and appreciate the equipment and supply needs of fellow dentists. This perspective helps us communicate effectively with customers in all aspects of our relationship with them,” according to Dr. Ferda Durdu, J. Morita USA Marketing Manager. “Our awareness of the typical dental professional’s needs influences everything we do, from product research and design to information and data management to marketing. We make life simpler for our customers.”

Adapting to Changing Market Conditions
Rapid and dramatic changes in the world economy during the 1980’s set in motion a series of transforming events for J. Morita USA. Changes in the exchange rate between U. S. dollars and the Japanese yen prompted the company to move into the dental consumables market. This was a defining moment for the company, requiring that J. Morita find ways to effectively serve the every-day needs of dental professionals in addition to less-frequent, higher-cost equipment purchases. The company would again rely on its commitment to leadership and innovation, and eventually capitalize on this opportunity.

As the company’s product offerings expanded and sales steadily increased, it quickly outgrew its downtown Los Angeles office. In 1987, J. Morita USA moved into larger facilities in Tustin, California. A decade later, continued growth led the company to establish its current home in the Irvine Spectrum area of Orange County, California. The 30,000 square foot facility, featuring an on-site clinical presentation area, is vivid testimony to the company’s continued growth and its commitment to industry leadership in the new millennium.

Continuous Innovation
Both out of necessity and opportunity, J. Morita USA quickly evolved in the 1990’s to become a leading supplier of small equipment and consumable supplies. As a sales agent for various dental product manufacturers (including those of its parent, J. Morita Corporation), the company offered to dental professionals the best imaginable solution: quality products from reliable providers via parallel sales channels – J. Morita USA sales representatives, or wholesale dental dealers.

Extensive internal research and development capabilities led to new materials, methods and systems, making the J. Morita brand synonymous with innovative advances in dental treatment. The company introduced to North America several significant advancements: total-etch technique, the first self-etching bonding agent; the Root ZX, the first apex locator which can work in wet canals; the world’s first 100% spherically filled composite; and a single-application bonding agent giving color confirmation of polymerization. These products reinforced the company’s unsurpassed reputation for innovation. The Root ZX, with seven patents in the U. S. and Japan, has a 90%+ market share.

Root ZX Apex Locater

---

"I believe the Root ZX Apex Locator is the single most important instrument contributing to the quality of my endodontic treatment. I am able to verify correct working length for every file as I shape the canal. It has proven to be dead-on accurate in the three years I've been using it."
Michael I. Barr, D.D.S.
Boynton Beach, FL
www.palmbeach-smiles.com

---

“The incredible popularity of products like Root ZX demonstrates that our commitment to innovation is real, not just a marketing slogan,” said Mr. Miyata. “We have recently added a companion product, the Tri-Auto X, the first automatic, cordless endodontic handpiece containing a built-in apex locator with automatic safety features. This device permits a dental professional to perform endodontic procedures safely and more efficiently.”

J. Morita USA’s recently formed partnership with Tokuyama Dental Corporation, offers state-of-the-art technology to the dental community. Featured products include Bistite II DC Resin Cement, Palfique Estelite Composite, One-Up Bond F Self-Etching Bonding Agent, and Sofreliner Chairside Soft Denture Reliner. Partnering with such a highly respected manufacturer helps ensure that J. Morita customers have access to a wide range of highly dependable products.

Growth Fuels Expansion, New Products
Sustained growth in North America has led J. Morita USA to enhance its website (www.jmoritausa.com), adding a web-based product ordering system, more product information and related clinical and technical data. Recognizing overseas opp-ortunities, J. Morita USA has also opened offices in South America and the Middle East. The company intends to introduce over ten new products during the next three years. These include two new equipment products during the Chicago Midwinter Meeting in 2002, signaling a return to the company’s roots as a dental equipment supplier. The new offerings are: Veraviewepocs–high-speed panoramic x-ray apparatus, offering quality contrast-rich images in 8.2 seconds, making it ONE OF the world’s fastest panoramic x-ray units. This benefits patients by delivering lower radiation dose.

Freedom–rollerless automatic film processor, a maintenance-free film processor that develops film without using traditional rollers.

Can J. Morita sustain its positive momentum? “We take nothing for granted, but there is every reason to believe that J. Morita USA can continue to build on its past success. People should keep their eyes on us; we have ambitious plans,” Mr. Miyata concluded.

J. Morita USA’s successful line of products includes: Bistite II DC–a self-etching, dual-cured resin cement; One-Up Bond F–a light-cured fluoride releasing bonding agent; Perfectim Systems–Vinyl Polysiloxane Impression Material and Root ZX–a fully automatic apex locator.

---

Additional information about J. Morita USA and their extensive product line can be obtained by contacting them at:
9 Mason, Irvine, CA 92618
Phone: (949) 581-9600
Fax: (949) 465-1095
Customer Service: (888) 566-7482
Website: www.jmoritausa.com