The very first impressions show that his worldview is different, and maybe this very difference has made him a successful job creator in 25 years of experience. Mohammad Jafar Hosseini Shirazi thinks that a successful job creator changes the situation to his own benefit, and will prosper even in the hardest conditions. His two goals are increasing the well being of the society and improving the market. To know him and his company better we interviewed him.

Successful Job Creator in the Field of National Health

Source: Pezeshki.net Newsletter

Interviewer: Masoume Pirjelli

The very first impressions show that his worldview is different, and maybe this very difference has made him a successful job creator in 25 years of experience. Mohammad Jafar Hosseini Shirazi thinks that a successful job creator changes the situation to his own benefit, and will prosper even in the hardest conditions. His two goals are increasing the well being of the society and improving the market. To know him and his company better we interviewed him.

When did you begin working in the field of medical devices?

It has been 25 years since 1985 that I have been working in the field of medical devices. We began by starting a production line for syringes. At that time the country was in dire need of syringes and they were not produced inside Iran.

Where exactly medical machines are used?

They are used everywhere from production to packaging and sterilization. Actually the packaging and sterilization are done in the same place in all medical factories and this is why we have pursued these endeavors.

What were your methods at the beginning?

We began in 1985 to build various medical machines using reverse engineering. These machines were usually German and we changed them based on the situation in Iran. For example we changed the sterilization systems in a way that they used gas instead of electricity and we reduced their consumption from 65 watts to 10 watts which is a great improvement in saving energy.

Do you produce anything except syringes?

Yes, after syringes we began producing sutures and now medical tubes. Of course we have worked with food industries in producing half-cooked foods as well.

How many companies are similar to yours in Iran?

There are no companies specializing in medical devices and machinery. There are some companies producing but none similar to our method. There are no such companies in Europe as well. In the world the Pharmaplan company is similar in that it buys the machines and installs them but we largely produce them as well.

How much does your company produce?

It depends on the number of the orders we get. The kind of production also affects it because our products are very varied and when a company orders a production line we control the process from manufacture to installation. It is true about clean rooms as well. Our capacity is ten production lines a year which includes production, montage, packaging, and sterilization.

How much job your company creates?

Job creation can be direct or indirect. Our company employs five people and works with 90 contractors, but each of these contractors have about 50 people in their employment so our job indirect creation is much more.

Are you machines up to national standards?

There are no national standards in Iran. If we need to establish standard multiple companies must be active and they should be compared to the most successful but we are the only company like that in Iran so there can be no standard.

Can your products be compared with international standards?

Medical devices and devicess and machines are produced in Asia, Europe, and the USA. The quality of Asian products is very low and China and South Korea are really backward in this field. We try to compete with European quality and we have reached 90% of their quality, and if we can’t get the remaining 10% it’s because of lack of crude material and knowledge.

Is there a difference of price between your products and the foreign ones?

Our products are radically less expensive, some foreign products are five times more expensive, and in some products such as sutures even more.

What is the reason for this difference in price?

In foreign markets the price of technical knowledge is included in the price of the goods but we only include the price of materials and the labors used.

Have you been active in exporting your products?

We have had indirect exports as producers buy our products and then start branches in foreign countries.

Don’t you plan to expand your exportation?

Yes, we have been negotiating about starting production lines in Asian markets. We have faced some difficulties because of the cost differences, but hopefully they will be changed soon. We are also starting two production lines in Iraq. Hopefully we will soon receive a permit from the Iraqi Ministry of Health.

What is your greatest project?

Our greatest project has been starting the production of sutures in Iran. We have had a role in all medical industries that have started in Iran but the only project that has been our work from the beginning to the end are sutures. We have also done many projects in factories in sterilization.

Have the sanctions affected your business?

Not so far but they will surely affect us in the future and the prices will go up, because we have to obtain our materials from European markets and the sanctions will force us to buy them from middle people and this will cause the prices to go up.

Do you have any special programs for the sanctions situation?

Yes. I believe Iranian companies need to be able to cope with sanctions, as our country has faced sanctions in its entire history and we have faced situations like revolution and war and has emerged successfully and will manage this time as well and people should keep on creating jobs and then they are successful.

Do you engage in marketing and public relations?

We have no competition inside Iran but that doesn’t mean we don’t try to find customers. Importation of medical devices and machinery is very high and we need to compete with them and make ourselves known to people who buy imported products. We take part in medical and packaging exhibitions and since 1996 we have had internet advertising as well. Then internet was not very influential and it didn’t have much impact but now it has much more positive effect.

What is Iran’s rank among countries which produce medical devices?

Very high. Iran is so advanced that many countries want to buy from Iran, and they include Asian countries, Afghanistan, Iraq, and even some Arab Gulf countries. But these purchases are done through illegal means and not in an official capacity.

What is the role of your company in improving the role of Iran in the world?

Our company starts production lines, so we are active in the backstage of development and we are rarely noticed.