Borrowing from the 90-year history of its parent company—Kansas City-based orthotic and prosthetic textile designer Knit-Rite, Inc.—Therafirm has been focused on creating better outcomes for patients who use gradient compression hosiery.
For decades, Knit-Rite has worked closely with orthopedic, prosthetic and orthotic researchers who were developing new procedures in areas such as fracture management, post-amputation prosthetic care and infant cranial remodeling. Clinicians wanted light compression interface garments, which afforded improved fit and donning attributes. Solving this challenge, a development team identified yarns, which, via the spinning process, create extremely high elongation characteristics. Garments made with these yarns yield such significant performance improvements, that over the past four decades, this core-spun yarn revolutionized virtually every category of orthotic, prosthetic and compression product Knit-Rite offers.
Therafirm, purchased by Knit-Rite in 2000, has been in business since the 1950s when it was started by Parke-Davis. “Therafirm made a good quality gradient compression line, but there hadn’t been much innovation, and there were shortcomings in the line,” said Mark Smith, president and CEO of Knit-Rite, Inc. “With our background in O&P textiles, we had an idea to send spools of core-spun yarn from Kansas City to our compression plant in North Carolina. We thought we might get a compression garment with greater cross stretch. The burning question was, 'Would wearers notice a difference?’” As it turned out, virtually every wearer found the new compression socks easier to put on and more comfortable to wear.
“Donning and comfort are the factors affecting compliance with compression therapy,” Smith said. “We knew this was unique. It turned out the US Patent Office agreed. Since then so have thousands of other patients and providers.”
Despite this success, the company still had strides to make. “Therafirm’s production facility was running well,” Chris Vering, chief operating officer, said. “But, we needed improvements if we were going to grow.” The plant was old and had limited capacity, so the company invested several million dollars in state-of-the-art knitting, testing, dyeing, and boarding equipment, and achieved ISO certification.
Last spring, Therafirm moved its operation into a new production facility in Hamlet, North Carolina, only 15 miles from the former location. "We could have moved anywhere, but our associates at Therafirm are our most important resource. We didn’t want to lose anyone,” Vering said.
“The Core-Spun by Therafirm compression sock is a great product and a great story, but there is a lot more there,” Ron Hercules, executive vice president of sales, said. “We consider every facet of our customers’ needs to help patients be more compliant with compression therapy. Physicians are looking for better outcomes. Providers want better outcomes. Patients need the benefits of compression, but won’t wear it unless they can get it on and afford it. We think we offer all of that.”
Innovation continued with the February 2014 launch of the Ease opaque compression line. The Ease line is engineered using ultra-stretchy yarns for garments that are easier to put on and more comfortable to wear.
“We also serve our customers with resources to make the process succeed,” Kam Howard, executive vice president of marketing, said. “Unless we help doctors who help providers help patients, the most innovative products in the world won’t make a difference. We give doctors and providers patient information and effective merchandising resources to help patients connect the dots.”
Knit-Rite has always been about helping others. “When Knit-Rite was introduced to Therafirm, we saw an opportunity to extend innovation in compression hose that not only sold into our traditional orthotics and prosthetics market, but also one that allowed us to reach the other compression markets and provide new solutions to fit patient's needs,” Vering said.
“Everything we make helps every group we serve,” Smith said. “We are proud of our 90 years in the medical textile business and our continued commitment to producing American-made textiles. And, we are grateful for the opportunities we have to contribute to solutions for our customers and good jobs for our people and the U.S. economy.”
Knit-Rite and Therafirm employ approximately 175 employees between two locations in Kansas City, Kansas and Hamlet, North Carolina.
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