Kalogon’s production, leadership investments tee up growth

MELBOURNE, Fla. – Kalogon is positioning itself for significant domestic and international growth with the opening of a new 20,000-square-foot facility with production capacity up to $50 million in Melbourne, Fla., and the hiring of Paul Banz as vice president of sales.

CEO and founder Tim Balz says the company currently offers its Booster device – which adjusts air pressure in existing seat cushions – along with its Orbiter seat cushion line and Bondar back cushion in the United States.

“A big part of the [global] expansion was having a facility that can meet expanded demand and now all those pieces are setting up,” he said. “We’ve heard of people flying to the U.S. to buy our products and bring them back home. It’s been really disappointing not to make it easier for them.”

Kalogon also makes Booster available in the EU through its partnership with Etac and in Australia through its partnership with Paragon Mobility.

A SpaceX-inspired production model

The new facility brings production and engineering under one roof, a move inspired by Balz’s past work at SpaceX. The co-location is designed to accelerate product development and streamline manufacturing.

The two teams have a fluid relationship, Balz says, supporting each other in making the company’s seating products “a couple of percentages better.”

“We go from raw materials to a product, all in the U.S.,” he said. “On one side of the facility, foam comes in on semi-trucks; on the other side an advanced wheelchair cushion comes out. Our team strives for a seven-day lead time on our products, which is kind of crazy.”

Innovation pipeline remains focused on seating

Balz says Kalogon “always has stuff in the works,” but he offered limited details. The company will continue to focus on advanced seating solutions.

“We’re not trying to be the next wheelchair company,” he said.

Future products may incorporate technology Kalogon has developed for the Air Force, where the company has applied its expertise in pressure management.

“We understand seating better than anyone and we do a deep dive into the science of it,” he said. “What I can tell you is that the technology that we’ve developed – there are synergies between the two (markets).”

Strengthening the commercial team

To support its growth, Balz has built a team of independent reps and therapists and recruited Kelly Waugh, PT, MAPT, ATP, as a clinical advisor, to help expand Kalogon’s presence among providers and end users.

“These reps – we treat them like partners,” he said. “We have them tell us what their customers need and what’s best to go to market, and we can deliver because we’re small and nimble enough.”

That collaborative approach also led Balz to hire Banz, who fills a need for an experienced sales leader. Banz brings more than two decades of expertise in the complex rehab technology (CRT) sector, most recently of Etac, where he oversaw international sales across brands like Ki Mobility, Axiom, Star, Hovertech, MoLift, R82, Immedia and Etac’s wheelchair, bathroom and ADL lines.

“His name came up in a bunch of conversations, and the timing was right to do it,” Balz said.

• Related: Kalogon vows to change the way we sit.

Photo courtesy of Kalogon.