Pressure is good for a meter reader.

• Position: People - Dayn McBee of SunTech Medical Instruments Inc. - Brief Article

Dayn McBee, 40, knows firsthand why people need the portable blood-pressure monitors that Raleigh-based SunTech Medical Instruments Inc. makes. Ten years ago, one of them informed McBee he suffered from hypertension, with a reading of 160 over 100. "1 went to the doctor and said, 'Here's the information.' "McBee, CEO of SunTech, takes medication every day to bring those numbers down.

SunTech monitors, priced from $2,000 to $3,500, include the traditional cuff attached by a tube to a cell-phone-sized machine that clips onto the belt. They can be worn by patients 24 hours a day, allowing doctors to see regular fluctuations and get a better reading. "High blood pressure doesn't discriminate. It happens anywhere from children on up. In my case, it's a combination of heredity and a driven lifestyle."

At least that drive is paying off at work. Privately held SunTech reported sales of more than $6 million in 2001, up 50% from 2000. McBee, who says the company is profitable, predicts that kind of growth will continue through 2002 as SunTech expands sales to sports and fitness clinics. The company is planning to move into larger offices this year. Among his customers is NASA, which uses SunTech monitors on astronauts flying space-shuttle missions and has one installed on the international space station.

McBee initially wanted to be an aircraft mechanic. He joined the Air Force after graduating from high school in Greensboro in...