Leo Dhanpat, founder of MSP Medical, wanted to be an entrepreneur from an early age. What started as a venture in the evenings in the garage grew into an international company providing medical care solutions. Leo's journey began in 1993 and he now runs MSP, a company focused on providing spare parts and high quality healthcare products. In this interview, Leo takes us through the highs and lows of his career. He talks candidly about his motivations, his future plans and working with his son Mike, who is now slowly taking over the family business completely.
“Without a backup plan, I decided to quit my job and build something on my own. That started in the evenings, together with my wife in our garage, while the baby monitor was beside us.” - Leo Dhanpat.
Can you tell us something about yourself?
“My entrepreneurial journey began in 1993, really in the classic way: from a small garage behind our house. From the drive to make the world a better place, I started out making air and water filters, but soon switched to infrared equipment, because that was a better market for it at the time. First for medical applications such as pain relief for rheumatoid arthritis patients, and later for commercial purposes such as infrared saunas. Soon the company, then called Eco-Systems, was growing at the seams. In 1998, we officially became a limited liability company. From then on, things moved quickly. We developed healthcare equipment, such as the Easy Rider, which helps hospitals transport beds. At one point we were supplying tens of thousands of elevator components a year for major players in the healthcare industry. And so we continued to grow into the international player in medical components that we are today.
How did you come up with the idea of entrepreneurship?
“As a child, I was often out with my uncle; he was a kind of 'milkman of old.' I helped him bring milk around and saw how he arranged everything himself. He had a Volkswagen van and as a little boy I dreamed of having one of those too. That urge to build something for myself has always remained. After my MTS education, I did an internship at a metal company, where I soon became a company manager. When one day it became clear that I could not continue to grow there, I impulsively decided to quit my job. Without an elaborate plan, I started my own business. In the evenings, together with my wife, we worked from the garage. At that time, our son Mike had also just been born, so we worked late into the evening with the baby monitor beside us. That was an intense period when I think back, but I felt an enormous drive to go into business independently.
In addition to my drive to start for myself, I wanted to create something to make the world a little better. This has always been the common thread in my path as an entrepreneur, and thus also for MSP Medical. Keeping healthcare affordable has always been the underlying goal.”
How do you find working with your son Mike?
“I often hear that working with family can be difficult, but with us it comes very naturally. Mike and I have a good working relationship and usually agree quickly. If we disagree on something, I often give him the benefit of the doubt. If something goes wrong, I hope he learns from it and gets it right next time.
Sometimes I tell him it's important to keep enjoying his work. Because if you lose that, you won't last. Although, I have a feeling that he will be fine. What I like to see is that he has a much better work-life balance than I used to have, and I'm glad about that. He has a fresh perspective on things, which is important because today's world is very different from when I started. It's also nice to have a real sparring partner now, something I used to miss at times. It feels good to know that the company is in good hands.”
What are the key developments at MSP Medical?
What are you most proud of?
What are your plans for the future?
Leo Dhanpat's story is one of perseverance and passion. His entrepreneurial journey, which began in a garage, has grown into an international player in medical device components. Together with his son Mike, they are achieving constant growth in a changing market, with one goal in mind: to make the world a better place by keeping healthcare affordable. With Mike at the helm, MSP's future is assured and Leo can confidently hand over the baton and start preparing to become a full-time grandfather.