Texas Medical Technology, a manufacturer and distributor of medical supplies and equipment, has launched a joint venture with The Modoc Nation, a Native American tribe located in Ottawa County, Miami, Oklahoma. Texas Medical Technology and the Modoc Nation’s Buffalo MTE, established the joint venture, Modoc Medical Solutions, under the US Small Business Administration (SBA) rules.
Across the US, one in three Native Americans is living in poverty, with a median income of $23,000 a year. These numbers from the American Community Survey highlight the stark income inequality the nation’s first peoples face. In addition, the economic woes of recent years has demonstrated the urgent need to foster functioning economies in Native communities. One way in which the private sector can contribute to the development of Native Americans is through joint ventures, which have proved beneficial for enriching community life.
To improve the situation, Modoc Medical Solutions will tap the know-how and manufacturing capacities of Texas Medical to begin manufacturing products under its own brand. All products made under the joint venture will be marked “Tribally Manufactured by an American Indian Economic Enterprise” and assembled in Houston, where Modoc Medical Solution will operate in the factory alongside Texas Medical Technology. Modoc Medical Solution’s profits will be reinvested into its operations and funneled into the Modoc Nation General Fund, which is used to benefit the Nation’s members through scholarships, direct payments, infrastructural improvements, and community programmes.
Texas Medical Technology was established to meet the soaring demand for personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Texas Medical Technology now has a 144,000-sq. ft factory in Houston that employs 550 workers from 53 countries, including refugees assisted by the YMCA of Greater Houston and the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. The three entrepreneurs behind Texas Medical Technology also come from diverse backgrounds. Omri Shafran and Dimitri Menin are Israeli, while Jad Shraim is of Palestinian descent. Their focus since the beginning has been on working together for the greater good regardless of origin.
“As we continue to expand our operations, we’re also stepping up our efforts to provide ventures which can also provide valuable support for people,” says Omri Shafran, Founder & CEO of Texas Medical Technology. “This venture with the Modoc Nation is just part of our wider aspiration to give back to the communities who are able to contribute if given the opportunity.”
“We’re really excited to begin this venture with Texas Medical Technology,” says Norman “Bud” Cool, a representative of the Modoc Nation. “The economic opportunities from this could really begin to transform our Tribal Nations community and impact future generations for the better.”