Sunrise Consolidates Plant Functions: 'We Have Reinvented Ourselves,' Rossnagel Says

FRESNO, Calif. — Sunrise Medical announced details March 26 of an ongoing strategic plan for its North American mobility business unit.

"Our goal is to become the most efficient provider of premium mobility products and services in the U.S. market," said Sunrise President and CEO Thomas Rossnagel in a release. "We have truly reinvented ourselves in the past two years here in the U.S. The positive feedback we have received from our customers confirms we are on the right track. Now is the time to take the next step in our evolution."

The company said it has made "significant progress" over the past two years, and that customer satisfaction and core product revenues have increased "due to an improved and sharpened focus on the key stakeholders within the complex rehab market segment."

Following the November 2009 divestiture of its Guardian HME product line, Sunrise said the company has strengthened its core rehab business with a series of introductions, including the Quickie Q7 lightweight rigid wheelchair and the Jay 3 cushion.

"In today's market it is important to be more efficient than your competitors," Rossnagel said. "It is about having lean business processes in place and having to manage as few as possible internal interfaces. Improving the way we operate today in that direction will inevitably make us an even better supplier to our customers." 

The company will achieve this "by consolidating certain functional areas from our Longmont, Colo., facility into our Fresno, Calif., facility," he said.

"In order to facilitate this move we are making significant targeted investments. Examples include our recently completed consolidation of our custom seating plants into our Fresno facility. This allows us to offer our dealers a complete base and custom seating solution which drives efficiencies for all parties involved," Rossnagel continued.

"An improved customer ERP infrastructure is underway and planned for completion this summer. These important investments will enable us to provide faster and improved customer service to our U.S. customers at a time when efficiency gains are vital."

Pete Coburn, Sunrise president of U. S. commercial operations, added the effort "means that in the segments we participate in we will offer a premium product in regards to functionality, appearance and durability. Furthermore we will provide premium services for our dealers, clinicians and end-users." The company's premium brands include Quickie, Zippie, Breezy and Jay.