Sunrise Is Back!
Sunrise Medical, Longmont, Colo, used their booth in the Medtrade exhibit hall to debut new products in the areas of mobility, respiratory, and standard HME—and a new attitude.
“It is fun to be back,” says chairman Mike Hammes.
“We started out with the best brands out there,” says Mike Hammes, the company’s chairman. “But the thing was just not working the way it should.”
To recreate the enthusiastic can-do attitude that made Sunrise a leader, the company wooed back old employees, promoted from within, hired new people, and sought advice from dealers.
“I am more excited about the future than I have ever been,” says Marilyn Hamilton, vice president of planning and strategic services.
Among the new product introductions are the Quickie P-220 power chair, which is priced competitively to fit into the K0011 market. On the manual side, the Quickie Ti Titanium is adjustable and lightweight. The Folding Zippie TS chair for pediatrics is designed to eliminate vehicle and other tight space restrictions for families.
Sunrise has also expanded the respiratory line of products from CPAP devices and masks to a conserver, compressor, and humidifier.
Finally, the Guardian Escort wheelchair, Homecare Bed, and the Voyager Portable Lifter and Easytrack System are new additions to the HME family of products.
Invacare Names CFO and Expands Product Offerings
Invacare Corp, Elyria, Ohio, appointed Gregory C. Thompson to senior vice president and chief financial officer. Thompson comes to Invacare from Sensormatics Electronics Corp, and will be responsible for all aspects of the company’s finance, treasury, internal audit, investor relations, corporate development, and information technology functions.
At Medtrade in Atlanta, Invacare revealed 38 new or improved products and programs. These new developments “demonstrate that our commitment to innovation, for the benefit of our provider customers and the consumers, is unwavering,” says A. Malachi Mixon III, chairman and CEO of Invacare.
Invacare also unveiled a preliminary prototype for a new power chair that will be available in the spring of 2003. The Storm Series® TDX™ features center-wheel drive, MK5™ electronics, SureStep™, Stability Lock, and TrueTrack. Invacare’s hope is that this chair will incorporate all of the features consumers want without having to compromise center-wheel drive and a small turning radius for stability. It is a revolutionary development says Julie Jacono, product manager for custom power. “This would be equivalent to the car industry changing its standard from rear-wheel drive to front-wheel drive.”
| HME Insider |
 Chad WilliamsRapid growth can be challenging to manage, but Harmar Mobility, Sarasota, Fla—one of the fastest growing small companies in the United States—is taking it in stride. Dealer/ Provider spoke with Chad Williams, president, to find out the secret to his success. Q Harmar has been in the market for a relatively short time. To what do you attribute the company’s rapid growth?
A Harmar Mobility was founded in February 1998 when Harmar Products purchased All-Purpose Manufacturing, a small mobility lift producer. Engineering, quality assurance, and sales programs were developed to create new products and build a strong dealer base. Those efforts have produced exponential growth each year for Harmar Mobility, making it the country’s premier lift and ramp company. Harmar will be included in Inc Magazine’s Fastest Growing Private Companies listing in our first year of eligibility and should be positioned well within the top 100. This kind of growth is the result of what we call “the Harmar difference.” That means our entire focus at Harmar is on the needs of our dealers—from their customers to their technicians, their salespeople, and their accountants. Harmar Mobility will meet every dealer need—absolutely, positively. Harmar’s reputation was founded on innovative products built to a higher standard. That is still our driving company force. That approach has created numerous firsts for Harmar. The list includes being the first to offer Class II outside lifts; build inside lifts with a one-piece lifting arm (our uni-frame architecture); build an inside platform lift for SUVs; offer multi-fold portable ramps that can be transported in two pieces for ease of use; and offer solid, fully assembled, commercial-quality modular ramps for residential use. Q What is Harmar’s message to dealers?
A We have strengthened our reputation for outstanding products by offering exceptional service that is unmatched by other manufacturers. At Harmar, every dealer call gets immediate attention by a customer service representative, salesperson, or technician. All orders are shipped same-day/next-day anywhere in the country, cutting response times dramatically. All of our products ship fully assembled so installations are quick and trouble-free. (Typical install times are less than 1 hour.) To maintain the integrity of the mobility industry, we urge dealers and their customers to be wary of emerging knockoff mobility manufacturers. These manufacturers threaten the credibility of the industry and are offering products that may not be reliable or meet the needs of dealers’ customers. Dealers can avoid these problems by working with established manufacturers who design and produce their own quality products. They and their customers deserve nothing less. |
| In Brief |
Robert Smith has joined Freedom Lift Corp, Green Lane, Pa, a division of Cook Technologies Inc, as vice president of sales and marketing.
CHAD Therapeutics Inc, Chatsworth, Calif, saw a revenue decline in its second quarter financial results. Fiscal 2003 has brought a 7% fall in the second quarter, and 2% when compared with the first half of last year.
MEDIChair, Calgary, Alberta, has added a 55th franchise location in Camrose, Alberta. |
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