Joe Arington

Bemidji, MN (northern Minnesota) 1979: Joe Arington was managing four small companies, all under common ownership. The companies included mobile Nuclear Medicine services, mobile Ultra Sound services, a mobile coach manufacturing company, and even a catalog sales company. The companies had clientèle throughout Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

In 1981, the owners decided to split up the territory to be more successful in each of the market places. Mr. Arington took on Minnesota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. He started working with a hospital cooperative outside of Madison, Wisconsin to manage two CT systems in southern Wisconsin and southeast South Dakota. Constantly on the road between Minnesota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin, Mr. Arington started Shared Medical Services (SMS) literally out of the back of his station wagon.