Sunrise acquires three seating businesses

October 25, 2004 CARLSBAD, Calif.  - Sunrise Medical announced Friday that it has acquired three seating and positioning manufacturers: Adaptive Equipment Systems (AES), RehabiliTech Inc. and Whitmyer Biomechanix, Inc. “We're going to run all three as a specialized seating company,” said Mike Hammes, CEO of Sunrise Medical. “Tom Novotny is presently CEO of AES and he will be running all three of those companies.” The three manufacturers plan to maintain current locations and staffs. Sunrise currently runs a small specialized seating and positioning operation as part of its Jay business. Novotny will absorb those efforts into the new specialized division. “Finding the strengths among each of those lines, and merging them into one will be a lot of fun,” said Novotny. AES and RehabiliTech are full range manufacturers of seating and positioning products. The AES product line includes the Li'l Kiddos line of pediatric hardware and seating. RehabiliTech's product offerings include the innovative, simulator free, ShurShape brand of custom molded seating as well as the Focus Point line of wheelchair back cushions. Whitmyer Biomechanix is a specialty manufacturer of custom fit head support systems and accessories. The companies plan to pursue business as usual after the acquisition. “A large [part] of our business is spread over all the mobility bases,” said Novotny. “We plan and hope to continue doing that business and growing that business as well. The key here is to keep doing what we're doing and doing it well, and doing it better leveraging the strength of Sunrise.”