President’s Message – September 2025

By Shawn Nowak

“Labs First!“

At Nowak Dental, our mission has always been simple: put dental labs first. Not dentists, not distributors, not Wall Street. Labs. That’s been true since my grandfather Benny started this company in 1944 with nothing but a brown leather bag and a belief that relationships matter more than contracts. We’ve carried that bag — and that belief — for three generations, and it’s the reason we continue to grow.

When we say our mission is to support the lab community, it isn’t just a line we print on a brochure. It’s the late-night calls we answer. It’s the orders that leave our warehouse the same day so your doctors don’t wait. It’s standing beside you when hurricanes, supply shortages, or broken machines try to shut you down. We believe people want to do business with companies they like — companies they trust — and we work every day to earn that handshake.

That’s also why we’re putting our heart into NOLA LabFest this November. This isn’t just another hotel ballroom with stiff suits and stale coffee. No, sir. We’re throwing a true Louisiana-style gathering — a festival of labs, by labs, and for labs. Imagine CE courses that don’t feel like a chore, vendors who actually understand your business, and a community of lab professionals who come together to learn, laugh, and maybe even dance a little. All in a city that knows how to mix business with beignets.

LabFest is our mission statement brought to life. It’s our way of saying: you’re not alone in this industry. You’ve got a family behind you — one that knows how to work hard, take care of its own, and still enjoy a little gumbo at the end of the day.

So pack your bags, grab your appetite, and come see what happens when a company with an 80-year legacy of putting labs first throws a party in the heart of New Orleans. We promise you’ll walk away with more than just CE credits. You’ll leave knowing you’ve got a partner who’s in this fight with you — clawing, grinding, and growing, one crown at a time.

Tickets are selling fast — don’t wait. Sign up today at www.nolalabfest.com.

Shawn Nowak
President, Nowak Dental