Pushing for Comfort

Seating and positioning professionals share a high level of passion and caring about what they do and how they affect patients' lives.

“[The passion] imbues the whole corporate culture. Everything we do physically touches clients and makes their lives better,” says Don Gordon, vice president, marketing, Adaptive Equipment Systems. “Every little bit matters. You don't find that in other industries.”

“Providing equipment to improve the lives of physically challenged children is socially beneficial and very rewarding,” says Merv Watkins, president of pediatric-mobility manufacturer Convaid. “For some children, this means a degree of independence, for others an enhancement of their capabilities and a broadening of their horizons.”

“Seating and positioning is important because every wheelchair user is an individual with personal postural support needs,” adds Randy Willett, director of medical, Cascade Designs, parent company of Varilite. “Properly designed postural supports can have a dramatic effect on a person's long-term health and well-being.”

“Something as simple as power elevating totally changes how clients interact with the environment,” points out Brad Peterson, vice president of education for Motion Concepts. Today's systems allow clients to live more independently inside and outside the home, he continues. “Therapists, providers, families, even funding sources are expecting more. From a manufacturer's standpoint, it's fun to come up to the challenge.”

Incremental Improvements

Experts peg overall market growth at about 15 percent annually, although certain segments, such as seat backs, have seen greater increases, Willett says.

Despite the growth, many experts say they have not seen any market-changing technology this year. “To be honest, seating and positioning is becoming a commodity market,” Gordon explains. “My main competition has access to 95 percent of the same materials [as I do].”

The seating and positioning market is now about “how well you use those materials, and how well you service and relate to the dealer and clinician,” he continues. “If you have a tight communication stream going, you can have a good product.”

The sector's small manufacturers are focusing product development and marketing toward specific niches, Peterson says. “I've noticed a lot of smaller companies come up with different things to challenge the Goliaths. They're starting to change the [industry's] mindset.”