Invacare revamps management team

January 31, 2005 ELYRIA, Ohio - Invacare has made several key management and organizational changes intended to help the company move more aggressively into developing new markets and channels, while also addressing cost reduction issues on a global basis, the company announced last week. The company has formed a new Global Respiratory Products Group, which will focus on identifying, developing and expanding market opportunities for the respiratory and sleep markets worldwide. Respiratory is Invacare's fastest-growing product area, fueled by the HomeFill II transfilling oxygen concentrator. Sleep therapy products also represent a large growth opportunity for Invacare in 2005 and beyond with the introduction of the company's new Polaris EX CPAP device and Twilight mask. Leading the new Global Respiratory Products Group is Dan Reuvers, who has been appointed vice president, reporting directly to Gerry Blouch, president and chief operating officer. Reuvers has worked previously at Advanced Respiratory and Vital Signs, both respiratory companies.  While at Advanced Respiratory, he served as chief operating officer and led the organization through its sale to Hill-Rom and subsequent integration.  While at Vital Signs, he led the sales and business development teams as they doubled in size from $70 million to $140 million.  Another key change announced is that Mike Parsons, in his new position as vice president, sales development, will now focus on creating new market opportunities. He will report to Lou Slangen, senior vice president of global market development. Greg Thompson, Invacare's current chief financial officer, has been appointed president, Home Medical Equipment Group. Thompson retains his CFO responsibilities while serving in his new role with the HME Group, which markets and sells the company's custom rehab and consumer power products, and standard products, including IVC wheelchairs, beds, and personal care products, in North America. Reporting to Greg Thompson is Brian Ellacott, vice president of sales and marketing, HME Group.  With the appointment of Mike Parsons to his new position, Ellacott is taking on direct responsibility for managing the company's North American sales forces. The sales force will continue to offer Total One Stop Shopping to HME providers in North America, representing both the HME Group product line, as well as the company's respiratory products which are now part of the Global Respiratory Products Group.  Invacare's regional managers and vice presidents for sales will report directly to Ellacott. To lead Invacare's continuing focus on cost reduction and quality improvement, Matt Mullarkey has been promoted to the position of vice president, Global Operations and Supply Chain, reporting to Gerry Blouch.  Mullarkey most recently served as vice president, HME Group.  In his new role, Mullarkey is responsible for North American and Asian manufacturing, purchasing, logistics, information systems, production planning, vendor management and sourcing on a global basis, while working with Invacare business leaders to improve quality and reduce cost. As previously announced, Invacare plans to continue to move additional manufacturing to China as part of its global cost reduction effort. In the area of global product development, Neal Curran has been appointed vice president, technology and intellectual property, reporting to Lou Slangen.  Curran most recently served as vice president of engineering, HME Group.  Curran's new role will help provide the necessary leadership to ensure a smooth transfer of knowledge from research and development to product development on a global scale.  He also will lead the development and implementation strategy for Invacare's intellectual property.