Invacare
The Invacare Corp.. is an internationally active group of companies that produces products in the field of medical technology and markets. The headquarters of the Invacare Group in Elyria (Ohio ).
- 2.1 products
History of the Invacare Group
The origin of the company is in a start up company in 1885. Those days, which was founded by Winslow L. Fay Fay Manufacturing Company began in Elyria (Ohio ) to produce tricycles for people with physical disabilities. She went in 1891 to Arthur L. Garford, who hired George Cushing Worthington as manager of the factory. 1899 was renamed the company in Worthington Manufacturing Company and in 1907 it was named Worthington Company. 1917 the company merged with the Machine Parts Company for Colson Company and changed its name in 1933 to the Colson Corporation. 1953 acquired the Pritzker family of Chicago, the Colson Corporation and relocated the company headquarters to their hometown. Four years later, still belonging to wheelchair production company was purchased in Elyria from three long-term employees and renamed Mobilaid Inc.. In 1971, Mobilaid Inc. and Invalex Company of Technicare, a medical technology company from Cleveland, acquired. The two companies merged and created the Invacare Corporation. She was purchased in 1978 by Johnson & Johnson.
The present company Invacare in 1979, founded by A. Malachi Mixon, the former marketing vice president of Technicare and was still to early 1979, Johnson & Johnson Group, however, should be sold. Mixon, now president of Invacare Corporation, organized a small group of investors in order for 7.8 million U.S. dollars to purchase Invacare. In 1982, Invacare the first motorized wheelchair with computer-aided control system on the market. In addition, Mixon built the distribution network and our product line further, which included, among others, also from as oxygen concentrators. The company went public in 1984 at the stock exchange and received simultaneously with the establishment of the European market for products for home care, a new orientation. For this purpose, first a British manufacturer was acquired by patient aids. This was followed by mergers with other companies in Germany, France, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark and Portugal. But also through mergers with companies in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United States expanded Invacare. The product line also widened steadily. 2000, the company was already the market leader in the product area for home care.
Invacare grew to date from three factories to 30, from 300 employees to over 6,000, from a net revenue of 19 million U.S. dollars to 1.7 billion U.S. dollars. It became a NYSE corporation, which is one of the " Fortune 1000". The Corporation maintains production sites in 14 countries and sells its products in 80 countries around the world.
In 2008 the company moved the production of many parts and products to low-wage countries; it produces its own brands in two factories in China. In 2010, Invacare still 1,300 workers in Ohio after hundreds of jobs were mined there since the mid-2000s.
Invacare Germany
1985 merged with the Invacare Günter Meier GmbH, a German manufacturer of electric wheelchairs, from which the Invacare Germany GmbH emerged that since 2005 has its headquarters in Porta Westfalica. At the site Porta Westfalica 180 people are currently employed. From here, the key development and production of electric wheelchairs and electric vehicles for the European market is controlled.
Founded in 1981, Aquatec, manufacturer of Badewannenliftern was in 2004 incorporated into the Invacare Group. Since 2006, Invacare Invacare sells its products through the sales and marketing organization, which has its location in Isny and is also responsible for Invacare Invacare Austria and Switzerland as well as for the company küschall AG. First, the sales went under the name Invacare Aquatec GmbH since January 1, 2012 under Invacare GmbH. In the same year, the Invacare GmbH expanded its technical service at the site Isny further. " InvaService " is designed to support additional services dealer. Aquatec claims to be the leader in the bath lift segment.
Brands
For the family of brands include Invacare tool for areas of mobility, home care and institutional care. In Germany, in addition to products of the brand and the brands Aquatec, Dolomite, Rea, küschall, Top End and Matrx products are sold. Product development takes place by means of so-called two-point strategy so that all brands both simple tools, as well as multifunctional products offer that are customizable and compatible with each other for the most part.
Products
The brand includes Invacare Power Wheelchairs, Scooters, and Manual Wheelchairs and products for oxygen therapy. Furthermore, walkers, hospital beds, anti- bedsore mattresses, patient lifts are offered. Since the 1980s, Aquatec bath lifts and transfer aids and toilet and shower systems are manufactured under the name. The development, production and sale of the products is located in Isny. The Swedish brand Dolomite develops, manufactures and sells go-carts, walkers and rollators. Rea based in Sweden is a manufacturer of manual wheelchairs that are built for passive users: The brand specializes in the development and manufacture of multifunction and lightweight wheelchairs. The brand küschall other hand, is focused on the development and manufacture of rigid and foldable active wheelchairs. The Swiss wheelchair manufacturer Invacare Rainer received in 1986, among others, the award for the best design from the Museum of Modern Art in New York City for the "Champion 3000". With Invacare Top End runs a label for sporting people with disabilities. The manufacturer, based in Florida performs various sports and active wheelchairs for tennis, basketball, table tennis and badminton players as well as for fencers. Also racing wheelchairs and hand cycles are part of the product range. Matrix manufactures ergonomic back bowls for wheelchairs.
Sponsoring activities
Invacare sponsors athletes in disabled sports and social projects for disabled persons in the German-speaking countries.