Page 14 - HMEB Business, February 2017

News / Trends / Analysis
Two Power
Chairs Show
Retail Mobility’s
Market
Momentum
Transactions of Pride’s Jazzy Air and Go-Chair, launched in the past year, exceed the company’s sales expectations.
The Jazzy Air and Go-Chair retail power chairs from Pride Mobility Products have proven to be huge revenue generators for providers.
Pride launched the power chairs in 2016 as signature retail products. Jazzy Air and Go-Chair are designed to serve as true lifestyle-enhancing products, combining functionality, quality and value, according to information from the company.
Both the Jazzy Air and Go-Chair have surpassed the 1,000 units sold mark, exceeding Pride’s sales milestones. In 10 months, “has already generated $4 million in sales, and $1.6 million in provider profit,” said Micah Swick, director of Pride Sales.
Pride released the Jazzy Air in February 2016. The power chair offers both medical and social mobility and features patent-pending technology that allows 10-inches of seat elevation at driving speeds up to 3.5 miles per hour. The power chair has a non-elevated top speed of 4.1 mph, as well as Pride’s Active-Trac suspension, integrated
LED lighting, ultra-comfort seating and a 19-inch turning radius.
The company launched the Go-Chair in June 2016. The compact, portable power chair features Pride’s “Feather Touch” disassembly, enabling it to fit in most vehicles. It’s available in six colors and has a 300-pound weight capacity, 18 Ah batteries and a top speed of 3.7 miles per hour.
“For 2017, we’re building upon this momentum and providers should embrace the opportu- nities in retail,” Swick added. “We feel that
any provider not in this space is missing a vast revenue stream. We’re excited that more and more providers are coming onboard, and for
this year we’re supporting retail providers with
a big digital marketing push focused on driving greater consumer demand for these high-revenue products.”
— By Leila Meyer. Meyer is a freelance writer covering a variety of industries. She can be reached via email at leilameyer@gmail.com or on the web at leilameyer.com.
PEOPLE IN HME
VGM Names New CFO
Rummel will take financial management reins from CEO Mallaro, who had been handling CFO duties on a temporary basis.
HME buying group and member service organization VGM Group Inc. has appointed Jeff Rummel as its new chief financial officer.
Rummel takes the reins for the position from VGM CEO Mike Mallaro, who had previously held the position, which has been in transition since Mallaro became CEO earlier in 2016.
In the CFO role, Rummel will provide strategic and financial perspectives to business decisions made at VGM.
Bringing more than 25 years’ experience, Rummel joined VGM in 2015, serving as the company’s controller and vice president of accounting. As the lead accounting officer he oversaw VGM’s financial functions such as taxes, investments, and managing external stakeholders, as well as the employee stock ownership plan. Rummel will continue to serve as controller until the transition to a new controller is complete.
BOC Announces
“In Jeff’s time at VGM,
he has endeavored to understand our various businesses in the depth needed to contribute mean- ingful counsel,” Mallaro said. “He has overseen
our corporate accounting
department and its various
financial functions and has worked closely with our numerous business units and their leaders to optimize business performance.”
“VGM is a great company with a solid foun- dation and an exciting future,” Rummel said.
“I look forward to continuing my work with our various divisions and expanding my role to be more involved in the future successes of our employee-owned company and the businesses we serve.” n
2017 Board of Directors
Accreditation organization elects new executive committee and adds two directors.
The Board of Certification/ Accreditation (BOC) has elected its 2017 execu- tive committee and added two new members to the board of directors. BOC announced the new board of directors in mid January.
The newly elected executive committee includes:
• L. Bradley Watson, president of Clarksville Limb + Brace + Rehab, as chair
• Rod Borkowski, president of Health Essentials, as vice-chair
• Wayne R. Rosen, owner of W.R. Rosen, Inc., as secretary
• Shane Ryley, area clinic manager at Hanger Orthopedic Group, as treasurer
• R. Jeffrey Hedges, president of R.J. Hedges & Associates, as member-at-large
These elected officers will serve one-year terms alongside James L. Hewlett, immediate past chair, and Claudia Zacharias, president and CEO of BOC.
New additions to the board of directors are Von M. Homer and John Owen, Jr. Homer is an assistant professor at the Barry University School
of Podiatric Medicine and co-director of the Motion Analysis Center. Owen is owner of Foot Solutions stores in South Carolina and Tennessee.
“We are extremely fortunate that Von and Sion are joining the BOC board of directors,” Watson said. “The new executive committee and the entire board will benefit from their stra- tegic perspectives as we work together to
chart the course for the future success of BOC, our credential-holders and the community of patients we serve.”
The Board of Certification/Accreditation (BOC) offers credentials in the fields of orthotics and prosthetics, as well as durable medical equipment. The board of directors is respon- sible for setting the organization’s mission and goals, developing plans, overseeing activities, managing resources, and maintaining the integ- rity and stature of the organization, according to information on the site.
— By Leila Meyer. Meyer is a freelance writer covering a variety of industries. She can be reached via email at leilameyer@gmail.com or on the web at leilameyer.com.
Jeff Rummel
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