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Lord’s Gold & Ceramics (later to become Lord’s Dental Studio, Inc., now NDX Lords) was founded in November 1966 by Mike Lord, a dental technician specially trained in a “new” technology called ceramics. “At the time, all pontics were metal. I was excited about the new ceramic technology and wanted to make that technology available to the local dental community. No lab in the Green Bay area was doing ceramics,” recalled Mike, who began working out of his home basement.
Mike’s approach to business continued to gain support from the dental community. Business grew, requiring him to build a 2,500-square-foot facility on Mason Street on the city’s west side. Over the next 10 years, Lord’s became a full-service laboratory as partial, denture and orthodontic departments were added. In 1985, construction began on a new building on Packerland Drive to accommodate the lab that now employed more than 50 people.
A developing health problem led Mike to sell the business in 1990 to Renny Challoner, a businessman from outside the industry and a resident of Green Bay. Building on the solid technical and customer service foundation that existed, Renny spent the next 10 years introducing and developing team, business, and customer service systems that fueled Lord’s continued growth.
In 2000, Renny fulfilled a longtime dream of his by transitioning ownership in a management-buyout of the company led by Ken Mathys (CFO), Kris Van Laanen (VP – Technology and Training) and Don Warden (President).
The company continued its strong, historic growth patterns through a comprehensive Back to Basics™ program and by focusing attention on understanding the many needs and demands of our dentists and their practices. As more time was being spent with our customers providing non-prosthetic business and consulting services, our Dentist Council™ of advisors recommended that we separate this part of our business from the laboratory. In 2002, Lord’s Dental Studio partnered with Wipfli (our CPA firm) to form Dental Practice Advisors, a business dedicated to bringing balance to your dental practice.
In 2005, Lord’s unveiled a spacious new facility. This new facility is an important landmark in the growth and success of NDX Lords. The building’s design conveys the same sense of artistry and technology that is reflected by the many dedicated and talented people that work within its interior.
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