To a global home healthcare company, Ceragem, which celebrates its 25th anniversary in the U.S. this year, 2024 is a special year. This is because the changes that Brian Changyoul Yang, CEO of Ceragem International has led since joining the company in 2013 are paying off, including entering Costco.
The company is moving away from the dealer-oriented sales model that has been in place for more than 20 years and moving in new directions. While selling 100,000 models in 25 years was a remarkable achievement, the company realized it was missing an opportunity for explosive growth.
The key was branding and distribution, and he has a vision to reinforce the branding, especially by transforming the Ceragem stores he runs. Yang envisions making Ceragem a “wellness center” that goes beyond the therapeutic bed experience. Currently, the West Hollywood store is operating as a wellness center, offering free blood pressure and body mass index checks, health classes, and other activities for visitors.
“We have a clear goal of evolving into a place where we can embed ourselves in the community and help people take care of their health,” Yang said.
The company is also trying to diversify its distribution channels to reach more customers. Earlier this year, the company participated in CES, the world’s largest consumer electronics show, and garnered a lot of mainstream attention, which led to its entry into Costco. This year, the company will operate demonstration booths at 10 stores in Southern California, and will also sell online from October.
“We were convinced that it wouldn’t be difficult to enter the market if they experienced the product,” Yang said, adding, “When we met at Costco’s headquarters in Seattle, we brought in therapeutic bed products and let all the staff have a chance to use them.”
Working with large retailers is something Yang has done before. Before joining Ceragem in 2023, Yang worked for LG Electronics in North America, where he was a business-to-business (B2B) expert. He helped the company drive significant sales through retail channels such as Home Depot and Costco.
“Costco’s vetting process is very strict, so just being accepted into the store is a guarantee of quality,” said Yang, “and we will be able to actively reach out to Costco’s 130 million members.”
The company aims to continue to aggressively expand its stores and distribution channels. Yang hopes to reach 20 stores in the country by the end of the year, with a goal of 100 or more in the future. The reason for this accelerated expansion is that he is confident that once customers experience the product, they will be captivated. The company is looking forward to franchising after the expansion is complete.
“This year will be the first year of active expansion in the U.S. with achievements of many milestones throughout the year. We believe it was possible thanks to the support of the Korean-American community, and we will continue to work with the community to expand into the broader mainstream.”
BY WONHEE CHO, HOONSIK WOO [cho.wonhee@koreadaily.com]
