Michael McCartney, owner and CEO of Respiratory Services of Western New York shows off one of the many items available in the new showroom at 80 French Road, Cheektowaga. Photo by John Rusac Purchase color photos at www.BeeNews.com A delivery from Respiratory Services of Western New York just might include a little more than a new oxygen tank.

It comes with a smile, a professional attitude, and it might even include a changed light bulb for an elderly patient who can’t reach the fixture.

By putting a premium on service, the Cheektowaga company has grown exponentially over the past 14 years from working with a handful of patients out of a Genesee Street home to filling a new showroom at 80 French Road.

“We service every patient like they’re our own grandparents,” owner and CEO Michael McCartney said. “That’s the bottom line.”

And McCartney should know. A respiratory therapist himself, he will still drive routes and serves patients in their homes with the latest products.

And with a long list of competitors in the area, McCartney says it’s service that sets his company apart from everyone else.

“We ’re not just a delivery service dropping off their equipment and saying ‘see ya.’ We can’t do that,” he said. “We have to make sure these people are getting taken care of and getting the care that they need. If they don’t, they’re going to fail.”

McCartney began the business 14 years ago, and says it has seen steady growth of 10 to 12 percent annually.

Although the primary focus is on oxygen service, the company has diversified in its new showroom to include products like wheelchairs, crutches and walkers. The showroom, which has been open less than a year, tripled the space from the previous location, which was on Broadway.

The move made sense, since the company also owns American Medical Gas, which has operated out of the building on French Road for several years.

“They had moved here first, and it just so happened that this portion of the building became available,” said General Manager Heather DiDomenico. “It made sense for us all to be under one roof. It’s worked out really well.”

Now, the oxygen tanks can get filled, loaded and shipped at the same location. And working out of Cheektowaga makes it easy to service all of Western New York. Being close to the thruway and several major roads allows the company’s drivers to reach Olean, Rochester and Niagara Falls just as easily.

While the economy has hurt other companies, Respiratory Services of Western New York has used technology to make itself more efficient. By placing GPS units in each truck and paying closer attention to delivery routes, the company can save on gas.

The location also benefits the company, since Cheektowaga has a large elderly population in need of these products and services.

But the main focus remains on customer service, which is why the company schedules the same drivers to deliver to each customer.

“They have the same face weekly or biweekly, so they start to develop that relationship,” DiDomenico said. “A lot of them are elderly, and they sometimes look at our service technicians as grandsons or someone to come and visit.”

The showroom is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday. The phone number is 683-6699.

e-mail: mkrueger@beenews.com