Who We Are
Specialty Appliances™ is the largest orthodontic lab in the USA offering the best quality customizable orthodontic appliances to dental professionals across the nation. We give you peace of mind.
Founded in 1981, we are known for our industry-leading quality, unparalleled customer service, and reliable delivery times. We are ISO certified and meet FDA standards unlike many Orthodontic labs. We have rigorous processes and standards that all your appliances must meet before we send them to you. If you need help with a case, we are available with a highly experienced team of technicians. We have five Certified Dental Technicians and Orthodontists on staff.
We have a dedicated team of qualified and experienced technicians who make your appliances to exacting standards. We train our people so that you can have peace of mind. We work to continually improve. We create products that help you reduce appointment times and number of visits. We invest in the latest technologies so that you can get the best quality appliances at a reasonable cost. Our scale allows us to invest in innovation that many others cannot.
We are committed to maintaining the same high-quality standards, customer-service mindset, and reliability that have been our hallmarks for over 40 years. You can rest assured that you made the right choice with Specialty Appliances™. Our appliances help you deliver great clinical outcomes and patient experiences that will drive growth in your practice.
Vision
We are the helping hand to the Orthodontist (or dentist) to enable them to provide their patients with a perfect smile!
Our Commitment to Orthodontic Practitioners:
- Be fair and transparent
- Stand by our products / work
- Do what we say
- Innovate products and processes
- Continuously improve
- Grow your practice
Our History
Management Team
Chidam Chidambaram
Chidam Chidambaram is Chief Executive Officer at Specialty Appliances™. He joined Specialty Appliances™ in November 2022. Prior to Specialty Appliances™, Chidam spent many years in General Management and Marketing. He has extensive experience in launching new products around the world, global advertising as well as growing businesses through traditional and direct channels including Digital. Most recently at Dentsply Sirona, he was Head of SureSmile globally growing the business from $20MM to $150 MM in revenue over two years. While at Dentsply Sirona he was also Chief Digital Officer and Chief Marketing Officer where his team created enterprise digital marketing capability and launched eCommerce websites in many countries around the world.
Tim Jackson
Tim Jackson is the Chief Operating Officer at Specialty Appliances™. He joined Specialty Appliances™ in February of 2021. Prior to Specialty Appliances™, Tim spent many years in Operations and Manufacturing Management. His previous experience includes many roles across Philips, leading North America Operations for Personal Health, Senior Director of Distribution, and Senior Director of Manufacturing. He has achieved breakthrough results through unshakable belief in Lean methodology and talent cultivation. Progressive career leading high mix/volume manufacturing, Tim led a strategic partnership with global 3PL and executed a change to move away from high labor warehousing into greenfield new state of the art distribution center.
Arlen Hurt, C.D.T.
Arlen graduated from Indiana University in 1984 with a Dental Laboratory Technology degree. Today, he has 38+ years of experience working and developing solutions for orthodontists. He is a sought-after speaker at orthodontic meetings who is at the forefront of innovation in orthodontics. Arlen invented the RES™ Expansion screw, Herbst AppleCore Screw, Mini-Palex™ Expansion screw, Leone Half screw, Herbst MiniScope mechanism, M-4 Herbst Mechanism, ROC Crowns, Rapid Molar Distalizer and various orthodontic appliances over the last 38 years. He is the 2008 winner of the NADL Harry Hagman Inventor of the Year award. He is a member of the Georgia Dental Laboratory Association for over 20+ years and has served on all board positions for the GDLA including serving as President in 2022. He has a passion for the orthodontic laboratory business and working with doctors and their staff to deliver the best treatment outcomes.
David Jenkins
David Jenkins is Chief Information Officer at Specialty Appliances™. He joined Specialty Appliances™ in April 2022. Prior to Specialty Appliances™, David spent over 30 years in Information Technology and business leadership. His previous experiences include large and small laboratories, large technology services companies, as well as non-profits. David has extensive experience in understanding business needs and delivering technology that enables business growth. In addition to his achievements in technology David has also been the driving force in 4 separate start-ups, including a business management consultancy where he was recognized as a Fellow of AInstIB, an international business advisory organization.
Marc Singh
Marc Singh is a seasoned finance executive with over 15 years of experience in accounting and finance, specializing in the manufacturing sector. As the VP of Finance and Accounting since September 2020, he has been instrumental in driving financial excellence and optimizing operational performance. A Certified Public Accountant, Marc brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise gained from working with both public and private companies, including those with revenues surpassing $1 billion. With his sharp financial acumen and strategic mindset, Marc is dedicated to transforming the bottom line, streamlining processes, and delivering sustainable growth for the organization.
Heather McNeil
Heather McNeil is the Head of Human Resources at Specialty Appliances™. Before beginning her career with Specialty Appliances™, Heather performed accounting roles in the for-profit and non-profit realm, while also processing payroll and other HR administrative tasks for non-profit. Heather holds a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy from Davenport College of Business and received her SHRM-CP certification in December of 2016. She joined the company in April of 2011 as our HR Administrator/Accountant. During her first 5 years with the company, Heather's primary role was managing accounting while handling payroll, benefits administration, job postings, and onboarding. As the company grew, Heather's role grew as well. She became our HR Manager in July of 2016 at which time she took over talent acquisition and employee relations, amongst other things, while still overseeing accounting. In 2020 Heather handed over the accounting duties so she could focus solely on HR. Since then, she has become our Head of HR.
Jessica Rothrock
Jessica Rothrock is Director of Orthodontic Treatment at Specialty Appliances™. She joined Specialty Appliances™ April 2022. Prior to Specialty Appliances™, Jessica spent 21 years working in an orthodontic practice. During those 21 years, she worked as a certified orthodontic assistant, front office coordinator, treatment coordinator, and office manager.
Carolyn Thomas
Carolyn Thomas joined Specialty Appliances™ in April 2003. She is currently the Director of Regulatory and Quality. Carolyn holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University and an MBA from Brenau University. She began her career as a project engineer at Westinghouse Plant Apparatus Division. She later worked in design engineering for Harris Calorific (now Harris Products - A Division of Lincoln Electric). While at Harris, Carolyn led efforts to obtain ISO 9001 Certification. At Specialty, Carolyn has used her business background and engineering skills to implement a formal QMS and obtain ISO 13485 Certification. Carolyn's expertise is in establishment and maintenance of quality systems, general manufacturing, and process improvement.
Tech Rep
Our tech representatives are here to address any technical questions you may have. Tech reps help ensure that that you receive high quality products that exceed your expectations.
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