Positioned For Growth By Going Full Service

By Kelly Fessel Carr

Posted May 07, 2012 in Labs & Profiles


Eleven years after purchasing and successfully operating Choate Ceramic Laboratory in Conroe, TX, the Co-Owners Jimmy Durham, David Fitch, CDT, and Alton Trotter, CDT, moved out of their ceramic comfort zone and added a removable department in January 2010.



They knew the demand for removable prosthetics was growing and saw going full service as a way to keep the 19-person laboratory as profitable as possible. Also, as a result of the economy, new technology, a dramatic increase in precious alloy prices and overseas competition, they projected their C&B workload would decrease and that department would then be overstaffed. By opening the removable department, they would be able to shift technicians and avoid laying off any employees.


The owners spent approximately 24 months researching the market, attending denture-related seminars, conducting demand studies, and analyzing costs and price ranges for full and partial dentures. After converting...

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About The Author

  • Kelly Fessel Carr

    Associate Publisher / Editor at LMT Communications, Inc. · Newtown, CT

    At the helm of the magazine for over 35 years, Kelly is the heart and soul of the editorial department, guiding and shaping our coverage - both in print and online - to bring dental laboratory decision-makers the news and...

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  • Matt Finney Image
    Matt Finney · Amherst, NY

    Look at that man go! haha Jay's one of the best, and Jimmy couldn't be more correct: Expect Removables. They will continue to grow rapidly. The more you can offer a doctor the better chance of capturing and retaining all of their available business - subsequently, their friends and colleagues work...[More]

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