Going Up

If 2002 was any indication of where the lifts and transfer devices market is headed, 2003 promises to be a banner year for the mobility niche.

In fact, according to some industry experts, the market could see one of its best years in 2003, particularly in the lift chair segment.

“The lift chair market is doing well,” says Cy Corgan, national sales manager, retail mobility and light rehab, for Pride Mobility Products. “And providers are doing well. We saw their businesses growing in 2002, and even briefly in 2003 we've seen a real uptake in the orders for lift chairs.”

Some experts believe it's not just the lift chair segment that is coming on strong. “I don't believe there is a particular niche within the market that is out-performing another,” says Chad Williams, president of Harmar Mobility. “The market as a whole is doing very well.”

And the market is only going to get better “[because] the Justice Department is finally going to enforce the Americans with Disabilities Act,” says Linda Nolan, president of Aquatic Access. “The ADA was passed 10 years ago, [but] I go into hotels all the time that don't have any pool lifts, and I see public pools without pool lifts all the time. I believe the market is strong.”

Corgan agrees. “What I see is an increase in the mobility business across the board, and the reason I say that is the baby boomers aren't really going to start hitting our industry heavily until about 2008,” Corgan says. “That's when you're going to have that big piece of the population really start to have an impact on the mobility business. And the more providers can create the awareness that they specialize in mobility, the more they're going to be able to capitalize on that market when it starts to unfold.”

Creating Awareness

If you have a toothache, you go to the dentist. If you need a mobility item, you go to a mobility specialist. Providers of lifts and transfer devices — and all home medical equipment providers — should encourage this kind of awareness in their communities, so consumers instantly associate mobility needs with a mobility provider, the experts say.

“The biggest obstacle to the market is awareness,” Corgan says. “Is the provider creating awareness in the community that [he or she] specializes in mobility?”

Creating this awareness can be done in a variety of ways, but a strong media campaign often is the quickest, most-effective route.