Hoveround is an American

corporation A corporation is an organization—usually a group of people or a company—authorized by the state to act as a single entity (a legal entity recognized by private and public law "born out of statute"; a legal person in legal context) and r ...

that manufactures and distributes the Hoveround brand of power

wheelchair A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, used when walking is difficult or impossible due to illness, injury, problems related to old age, or disability. These can include spinal cord injuries ( paraplegia, hemiplegia, and quadriplegia), cerebr ...

s (also known as

motorized wheelchair A motorized wheelchair, powerchair, electric wheelchair or electric-powered wheelchair (EPW) is a wheelchair that is propelled by means of an electric motor (usually using differential steering) rather than manual power. Motorized wheelchairs ...

s) and sells scooters, lifts, ramps and power chair accessories. The company, founded in 1992 by former nurse and inventor Tom Kruse, is based in

Sarasota, Florida Sarasota () is a city in Sarasota County on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The area is renowned for its cultural and environmental amenities, beaches, resorts, and the Sarasota School of Architecture. The city is located in the sout ...

. Its battery-operated products are primarily designed to assist mobility challenged individuals in getting around inside their homes and to facilitate mobility-related activities of daily living (MRADLs). Hoveround sells directly to consumers and relies primarily on television, mail and their website for sales efforts. In 2012, the company celebrated its 20th anniversary and had more than 500 employees. In early 2014, Hoveround laid off 20 or more workers at its Sarasota County headquarters offices. The worker reduction brought the total number of employees in the region within a range of only 290 to 295. According to spokespeople, competitive bidding at Medicare and the need for the company to trim payroll prompted the lay offs of staffers from throughout the organization. In late 2015, the

Office of the Inspector General In the United States, Office of Inspector General (OIG) is a generic term for the oversight division of a federal or state agency aimed at preventing inefficient or unlawful operations within their parent agency. Such offices are attached to ma ...

called for Hoveround to return $27 million to the government for power mobility devices that it said did not meet Medicare reimbursement requirements.

Background

Inventor Thomas Kruse, along with his brothers George and Robert and his stepfather Gerald Ewing, founded Hoveround Corporation in April 1992. Built to increase the mobility of wheelchair users, the Hoveround prototype maximized ease-of-operation, comfort and durability. The name “Hoveround” is the brainchild of Tom Kruse. He blended the word “hover” (based on the hovering look of the wheelchair), with the

Beach Boys A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc shell ...

’ song “ I Get Around”. Kruse had been listening to the song on the radio while driving to a power chair promotional event and came up with the Hoveround name. On June 28, 1994, Hoveround began selling its power wheelchairs direct to the customer. Within 90 days, Hoveround was profitable. Hoveround achieved FDA certification as a registered manufacturer in 1994, followed by ISO 9001 certification in 1997. In 1998, private holding company Jordan Industries, purchased an 80% stake in Hoveround. The remaining stock remained with Kruse and his brothers.

Manufacturing

Hoveround custom assembles all of its power chairs at the company’s manufacturing facilities in Southwest Florida.

Products

Hoveround sells power wheelchairs, motorized scooters, personal lifts, ramps and various power wheelchair accessories

Notes

References

Steering to high ground
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External links

Hoveround Power Wheelchairs
Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1992 Wheelchair manufacturers Companies based in Sarasota, Florida 1992 establishments in Florida Manufacturing companies based in Florida