TAG'D: Beyond The Award

Why Recor Medical’s TAG Award is a Win for Millions of Patients

On this episode of TAG’D: Beyond the Award, Justin Starbird sits down with Dr. Helen Reeve Stoffer [https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-reeve-stoffer-352a361/], Chief Operating Officer of Recor Medical [https://www.recormedical.com/]'s, to unpack the extraordinary 14-year journey behind the Paradise™ Ultrasound Renal Denervation System, winner of the 2026 TAG Award for Cardiovascular Therapeutic Innovation [https://www.tagawards.co/medtech-26/recor-medical/]. What began as a bold idea to treat hypertension with ultrasound technology became one of the most resilient comeback stories in modern MedTech. After a devastating industry-wide clinical trial failure nearly derailed renal denervation entirely, Recor refused to walk away. Instead, the team rebuilt the clinical playbook from the ground up, partnered with leading hypertension experts, and helped prove that device-based therapy could become a viable new option for millions of patients living with uncontrolled high blood pressure. The conversation dives into the realities of bringing category-defining technology to market, the persistence required to survive in MedTech, and why hypertension remains one of the world’s most urgent healthcare challenges. With more than 100 million Americans affected by high blood pressure, Recor’s mission extends far beyond innovation. It is about giving patients another path forward against one of healthcare’s most dangerous “silent killers.” Released alongside World Hypertension Day [https://www.who.int/news-room/events/detail/2026/05/17/default-calendar/world-hypertension-day-2026] on May 17, this episode is also a reminder of the importance of awareness, prevention, and expanding access to new treatment options for patients worldwide. From startup uncertainty to commercial success, this is a story about science, resilience, leadership, and the long road to changing patient lives.

Codonics Secures Second TAG Award with the Safe Waste System

They did it again! 🎉 Codonics [https://codonics.com/] is officially a two-time TAG Award winner [https://www.tagawards.co/medtech-26/safe-waste-system/], and today we’re celebrating the incredible team behind the innovative Safe Waste System (SWS)!  Join Mike Kohlberg [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-kolberg-84638463/], General Manager, and Cristy Berg [https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristy-berg-ctsm-silver-158b139/], Vice President, OEM, Marketing, Communications, and Global Trade Shows, on the TAG’D Beyond the Award [https://open.spotify.com/show/4SuDThyhf6ORBZ3wCxy6FX] podcast as they walk us through how they cracked one of the toughest nuts in healthcare: controlled substance waste.  Learn how the SWS brings safety, simplicity, and total accountability to the operating room, streamlining the entire medication workflow, from preparation to waste and reconciliation, in seconds.  Get ready to be inspired by a company that proves the most practical innovations are often the most impactful!

MD&M South Beyond the Booth: Zeiss Industrial Quality Solutions

TAG’D: Beyond the Award [https://open.spotify.com/show/4SuDThyhf6ORBZ3wCxy6FX] brings you Beyond the Booth live from the floor of MD&M South [https://www.mdmsouth.com/en/home.html] in partnership with Informa Markets [https://www.informamarkets.com/en/home.html]. Ever wonder how the biggest names in manufacturing ensure their quality control is powder-to-finish perfect? On this episode, host Justin Starbird [https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinstarbird/] is joined by Aimee Ozarchuk [https://www.linkedin.com/in/aimee-ozarchuk-2b5943129/], Southeast Business Sales Manager for Zeiss Industrial Quality Solutions [https://www.zeiss.com/metrology/us/home.html], to break down the massive scope of Zeiss’s inspection equipment, from nanometer-level microscopy to 100% in-line automotive part inspection. This conversation goes beyond the booth as Aimee reveals the excitement around their brand-new Quality Excellence Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, a true hands-on customer center designed to solve complex applications in X-ray, CMM, and micro-abilities.  Plus, get the inside scoop on Aimee's career journey from inside sales to leading the entire Southeast region, and how customer demands are driving their innovation roadmap toward AI, Industry 4.0, and merging critical data sets.  Tune in to discover how Zeiss continues to redefine precision and partnership in the ever-evolving world of industrial manufacturing!

MD&M South Beyond the Award: Braxton Manufacturing

Ever wonder what it takes to build something that literally saves lives, one microscopic component at a time? In this Beyond the Booth episode from MD&M South [https://www.mdmsouth.com/en/home.html] in Charlotte, brought to you in partnership with Informa Markets [https://www.informamarkets.com/en/home.html], we're stepping off the main stage and onto the shop floor (well, the trade show floor) with Mike Wang [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-wang-4173aa/] from Braxton Manufacturing [https://www.braxtonmfg.com/]. Braxton is the world's quiet expert in deep-draw technology, a process for forming metal in which the length exceeds the diameter, similar to a lipstick tube or bullet casing. They specialize in turning impossibly small pieces of metal into critical, life-saving components for MedTech (including dental and ophthalmic surgical parts), aerospace, and electronics. These high-precision, tight-tolerance parts are essential components within larger finished devices. Mike walks us through their incredibly niche, high-stakes world, covering: * The Power of Precision: How Braxton achieves tight-tolerance, nano-scale parts that are too complex to be made anywhere else, securing them as long-term partners for giants in regulated industries. * Innovation on Demand: Why true innovation isn't just internal R&D, but a constant, collaborative problem-solving process driven by customer needs. * The AI vs. Physical Reality Check: Mike's candid take on why AI is a great supplement but can never replace the hands-on expertise of a skilled engineering team in complex manufacturing. * Beyond the Email: The essential role of trade shows (like MD&M South) in forging "customers for life" by building face-to-face trust in an impersonal B2B world. If your business relies on high-quality manufacturing, or if you just love hearing about companies operating at the absolute cutting edge of their niche, this episode is a deep dive you won't want to miss.

MD&M South Beyond the Award: Photonics Industries

TAG’D: Beyond the Award [https://open.spotify.com/show/4SuDThyhf6ORBZ3wCxy6FX] brings you Beyond the Booth live from the floor of MD&M South [https://www.mdmsouth.com/en/home.html] in partnership with Informa Markets [https://www.informamarkets.com/en/home.html]. This week, we pulled Matt Johnson [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mj0hnson/] from Photonics Industries [https://www.photonix.com/] right off the MD&M South floor to talk about something way bigger than lasers: trust.  In the world of high-tech manufacturing, where do you find a competitive edge? Matt argues it’s not just in the machine's specs but in the people behind it. We dig into why American manufacturing still matters, the real meaning of 'innovation' beyond the buzzword, and how Matt’s philosophy of building personal relationships is, in fact, the ultimate sales strategy in a billion-dollar industry.  This is a must-listen for anyone in MedTech, manufacturing, or sales who wants to cut through the noise and build something that lasts.