Behind the list with Habib Noor

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Noor acquired Global Healthcare on Nov. 1 from its founders, Aruna and Dnyanoba Kendre. Noor declined to release the sale price. The aggressive growth and acquisition schedule planned for 2012 would be an extension of patterns the previous owners carried out over the past decade, he said.

Susquehanna Township-based Global Healthcare grew 54 percent from 2003 to 2010, and 30 percent in the past year. The changing health care landscape will be a significant factor in that growth, he said.

Noor spoke with the Business Journal about trends in health care, staffing and minority-owned businesses.

Q: Global Healthcare’s revenue grew from $500,000 in 2001 to $5.4 million today. What factors have led to that success?

A: Some part of it is the growth in the staffing industry in general. More people will have to go back to work, and the unemployment rate will definitely go down in the next three to five years. That’s one of the reasons. And the baby boomers will require more medical support, and that’s where any staffing business with home health care or medical staffing will increase if you provide the right quality service.

The $5.4 million is from 2010. This year, we’ve already exceeded $6.6 million so far. We’re going to end the year well above $7 million in revenue.

The biggest-growing group in our company is the home health care group. We picked up extra counties, and we picked up a lot of Medicaid business. That helped us grow, and our quality service helped establish us as a premier health care group.

What parts of your business are projected to grow the most in the next three years?

Home health care is definitely going to be growing organically. However, my plan is to acquire a few other staffing companies in Pennsylvania. By the next two quarters, we will become at least a $10 million company just from the acquisitions, without organic growth.

You have an aggressive schedule ahead of you. Why?

Correct. I’m looking to grow aggressively. For a staffing business, and especially medical staffing, this is a lifetime opportunity for us to create a presence and cast off. If we’re late, we’ll miss the boat as far as the growth and being ready for the big growth pattern for medical staffing.

For the last six months, while I was doing the due diligence for this company, I was also planning what would be my next step. I was working simultaneously to look out for other companies that complement this company.

Census Bureau numbers show that minority-owned businesses have increased rapidly, more than 45 percent between 2002 and 2007. What factors have helped minority-owned businesses?

This is a complex issue, but the generations are changing. In the past, the minority or especially the immigrant people thought about getting a job and providing for their family. But their thought processes are changing, and people want to be more entrepreneurial. And they have faith in the system and the government and are more confident they can cultivate those dreams with the surroundings and the support of the state and the government and the social structure. So they are getting more involved in entrepreneurial spirit and in business. So that’s just the mindset.

But now it’s a lot more easy for minorities to get similar treatment from the banks and other institutions to become a business owner. And you’ll see a lot more aggressive growth from minorities, because in the past they had the desire, but they didn’t have the means or the confidence or even the social outlook for minorities to own companies.

What will be the largest challenge to your company in 2012?

Managing the growth. We have aggressive plans, and we’re already seeing the growth coming our way. We just have to get used to being from a $5 million company to a $15 million company, and handle and maintain the growth. That would be our biggest challenge.

About Habib Noor

Habib Noor, 42, grew up in Bangladesh. He came to the United States in 1989 for his education and graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1995 with a bachelor’s degree in finance. After college, Noor started his own staffing companies. He owns three: Global Healthcare, New York City-based SearchPoint and Noor Associates. Today, he lives just northeast of New York City with his wife and two sons. Noor is a car enthusiast and plays basketball in his spare time.