Residential Ramp

Complete Access

Nick Vizzare, Market & Development completeaccess.co

Describe your company’s product line related to the lifts and ramps market. VIZZARE: We are a ramp and stair system dealer that designs, engineers and manufactures our ramps in our two U.S. plants.

What are the trends in equipment entering the market in 2016? VIZZARE: Advancements in technology have paved the way for better patient care. The need for ADA-compliant ramps has expanded residentially because of the technological advancements in remote monitoring.

How will you stay competitive in the industry this year? VIZZARE: We are always making our product code compliant and leading the charge with product testing for safer use and accessibility. It’s also important to educate the insuring and regulatory agencies to the real cost of serving our clients.

How important should customer service be to HME providers? VIZZARE: Customer service can be best performed when experience collides with educated knowledge.

Suitcase Portable Ramp

EZ-ACCESS

Cy Corgan, National Sales Manager—HHC ezaccess.com

Tell us about EZ-ACCESS and your most popular products. CORGAN: EZ-ACCESS provides premier access solutions in both commercial and home accessibility through the Pathway Modular Access System and the Passport Vertical Platform Lift, as well as a variety of portable mobility ramps, commercial ramps and mobility accessories.

How are your products changing as modern users’ needs and wants change? CORGAN: To address the needs of our mobile customers, EZ-ACCESS launched the Suitcase Singlefold Graphite Fiber ramp. The Haulway Scooter and Power Chair lifts also deliver ease of installation and operation in an appealing design, features our consumers also asked for.

How will competitive bidding affect the lifts and ramps market in the coming year? CORGAN: This is a cash/retail market and doesn’t feel the direct impact of competitive bidding or reduced reimbursements.

What products are you excited about this year? CORGAN: The new Concierge Residential Power Door Opener is a great product for residential customers looking to increase access to their interior and exterior doorways.

How can HMEs improve their businesses in 2016? CORGAN: Once an HME has made the decision to diversify into a product category, they must perform each of the best practices for that business model well.

What are some examples of best practices that HMEs should take advantage of? CORGAN: Product knowledge, customer service and education are all retail best practices and critical to survival, no matter what segment of business a company is in.

Modular Aluminum Ramp

Access 4U

Bob Heffernan, President access4uinc.com

How does your company plan to be successful in the market this year? HEFFERNAN: Customization is key, and Access4U strives to provide affordable ramps that can be easily configured to almost any home.

How important are customer service, customer education and overall product knowledge? HEFFERNAN: The average HME provider has a head start on understanding patient needs. If he or she has an interest in providing ramps, the ADA requirements can be easily learned and applied.

Outlander Vehicle Lift

Pride Mobility Products Corp.

Randy Walsh, Vice President of Jazzy and Retail Mobility Sales pridemobility.com

Describe your company. WALSH: Pride lifts and ramps are consumer-inspired, quality transport solutions and mobility products.

How have your customers’ wants and needs changed in recent years? WALSH:The ability to transport mobility products in an easy, affordable way is in more demand than ever. Thus, vehicle lifts are increasingly versatile on the widest range of vehicle models.

Where are the challenges? WALSH: One challenge is the reduced OEM vehicle tongue weights and towing capacities on newer vehicles. Our redesigned lifts that are lighter but stronger address these market realities.

In what ways does Pride Mobility plan to stay competitive this year? WALSH: From our Backpacker interior lift series to our Outlander exterior lift series, we have the ability to match an array of lifts, vehicles and mobility products to accommodate diverse needs.

How can struggling HMEs improve? WALSH: Bundling product sales is more of a winning strategy than ever. With every scooter sale, a provider should look at the potential to bundle a vehicle lift sale.

Where does customer education fit in to an HME’s business model? WALSH: The more a provider knows about a vehicle lift’s features, installation and application, the better he or she can promote the vehicle lift to the consumer.

Classic Ramp

American Access Inc.

Dave Clark, Vice President aaramps.com

Tell us about your product line. CLARK: American Access has been in business since 1997. You can choose our Classic aluminum solid ramp series, the Hybrid aluminum/wood ramp series, the XM aluminum open weave series.

What trends do you see on the horizon in the lifts and ramps market? CLARK: Options. Aesthetics are really important, and our goal is to offer more options for consumers to choose products that blend into the home.

How do your products help struggling HMEs? CLARK: Most business owners realize they need to add new product lines that can help offset the loss. Portable and threshold ramps are items that can be stocked in the store and sold over the counter.

Do you have any new products? CLARK: The Hybrid wood kit can be sold right off the shelf and the consumer can take it home and install it. The product can draw in younger consumers that feel they can handle a weekend project.

What is the most important thing that HME providers can do to remain competitive in 2016? CLARK: Display the product with options. We created a Tri-demo ramp that displays multiple surfaces without taking up much floor space.

Where do you feel that customer service fits in? CLARK: Education is the key to customer service. HMEs should take advantage of the product training most manufacturers offer by attending or sending one of their top employees to a sales and installation training.

Modular Ramp

Prairie View Industries

Fred Jensen, Vice President of Sales pviramps.com

Please briefly describe your company’s product line. JENSEN: We invented the muti-fold and the first modular fold ramp. All of our ramps are 100 percent U.S. made, and we ship all of our ramps same day.

How are you incorporating new technologies into your manufacturing? JENSEN: We work daily to improve our systems and streamline manufacturing with robotics, which keep our product costs low and help our partners grow their business.

Do you anticipate any challenges or major changes in the lifts and ramps market in 2016? JENSEN: At the end of the day, there’s not much innovation in the ramp market. We could build ramps out of expensive materials, but then then they become an expensive solution for a small market.

How will competitive bidding, play out related to lifts and ramps products in the coming year? JENSEN. PVI is an all cash sale model. We are staying out of competitive bidding and helping our partners overcome those struggles through the sale of our products.

What is one way your company plans to stay competitive in the lifts and ramps market in 2016? JENSEN. We continue to strive for simpler out-of-the-box solutions especially with our modular ramp, which we box individually because this makes our systems easier to stock.

What is the most important thing that HME providers can do to remain competitive in 2016? JENSEN. Diversify. If DME partners do not enter some home access business, they stand to lose customers to the guy down the street who offers the full package from the wheelchair to the ramp to the lift for his car.

Powder-Coated Steel Ramp

National Ramp

Roy Walker, Business Development Manager nationalramp.com

Please briefly describe your company’s product line related to the lifts and ramps market. WALKER:National Ramp has five completely unique ramp lines, giving the consumer more choices.

What trends do you see on the horizon in the lifts and ramps market this year, and beyond? WALKER: At National Ramp, we see more and more consumers using technology to search for products they need. Without using this technology, conventional forms of advertising are far less effective.

Do you anticipate any challenges or major changes in the lifts and ramps market in 2016, or in the future? WALKER: We have already experienced excellent growth so far this year, and we expect that to continue. We do not see ramps being impacted at all by Medicare competitive bidding.

What is one way your company plans to stay competitive and successful in the lifts and ramps market in 2016? WALKER: The Handy Footer is an inexpensive alternative to heavy concrete blocks used in ramp installations to prevent the ramp from sinking.

What is the most important thing that HME providers can do to remain competitive in 2016? WALKER: Advertise! You might be the best HME company in the world, but if the consumer cannot find you on the Internet, on social media or on the air, they won’t be doing business with you.

How important are customer service, customer education, and overall product knowledge? WALKER: Customer education, especially in today’s information age, is critical. The best consumer is the most educated, because they might be willing to spend more with your company.

If you’re buying a wheelchair or scooter, it’s 99 percent likely that you will need a ramp or lift, whether to get into your home, to accommodate a step down into a room, or even to transition across a threshold. Many people don’t know where to go for ramps or lifts, and HME/DME dealers are on the front line of solving this problem.

Gail Walker

National Ramp nationalramp.com

National Ramp’s powder-coated finish provides extra durability.

HC: What trends do you see on the horizon in the lifts and ramps market this year?

GW: We see the ramp market increasing every year, especially with more brand and product awareness, and especially with the aging population.

HC: What challenges do you anticipate this year?

GW: Since ramps are not affected by competitive bidding, we see very few challenges in the ramp marketplace.

HC: What is the most important thing that HME providers can do to stay competitive in this market?

GW: The most important thing HME providers can do to increase revenue and profits in this market is to spend money on advertising. You can have the best products, the best knowledge, and great people, but if buyers can’t find you, they won’t buy from you. Make sure your website is modern and that you are using the best optimization methods to drive traffic to your site and your social media platforms.

Dave Henderson

EZ-ACCESS ezaccess.com

The Passport vertical platform lift accommodates difficult pathways.

HC: What trends do you see on the horizon in the lifts and ramps market this year?

DH: We’re seeing more focus on the longevity of the product, as well as the versatility. Users are leaning towards semipermanent ramps, which will last decades with little maintenance but can also be taken down easily and reconfigured for a new home, or even resold. Users are also shifting to lifts that are easier to set up, take up less space and are lighter weight.

HC: What challenges do you anticipate this year?

DH: Easy solutions are one of the biggest needs in the HME market. Having the ability to quickly assess and provide an effective solution is important for success.

HC: What is the most important thing that HME providers can do to stay competitive in this market?

DH: HME providers in the lifts and ramps market need to increase Web marketing. We have provided resources through our new website to promote our dealers on the Web, but we would certainly recommend that our dealers examine their Web presence and look into search engine marketing, social media marketing, and optimizing their website for search engines. The users are out there and looking for a reputable mobility ramp dealer in their area, but without a good Web presence, they may not find you.

Fred Jensen

Prairie View Industries Inc. (PVI) pviramps.com

The Multifold ramp separates into two pieces for easy transport.

HC: What trends do you see on the horizon in the lifts and ramps market this year?

FJ: Recently, USA Today featured article on aging-in-place, saying that the vast majority of people 50 and older want to stay in their homes, and that two-thirds are living in the best homes of their lives. The article focuses on smart controls, lighting controls, cleaning robots, and, in particular, access ramping. With this continued national media coverage on the concept of aging-in-place, and the cost of custom labor rising, we feel strongly that sales growth will continue and access-focused providers will see the same.

HC: What challenges do you anticipate this year?

FJ: One of our biggest challenges is helping HME providers understand that ramp sales are an easy and extremely profitable source of cash sales for their businesses.

HC: What is the most important thing that HME providers can do to stay competitive in this market?

FJ: In this challenging market, HME providers should see the value and profitability in both selling these products and in thoroughly educating their customers. Ramp sales should be part of every ATP service tech and CSR’s daily conversations with customers. All this takes is a display stand or a $100 ramp in the showroom, a $30 threshold on their trucks or a brochure.

Karen Riker

American Access aaramps.com

A hybrid aluminum and steel ramp is durable and environmentally friendly.

HC: What trends do you see on the horizon in the lifts and ramps market this year?

KR: As the public continues to age and manufacturers and their dealer counterparts continue to raise awareness about the accessibility solutions available that allow consumers to stay in their homes longer, we expect the coming years to be healthy for both the residential and commercial markets. The voice of the customer will be heavily considered, and will influence our product selections to drive innovation and give us opportunities to be thought leaders when it comes to the unique needs of our customers.

HC: What challenges do you anticipate this year?

KR: A private pay sale for ramps and lifts has been the norm in the lifts and ramps industry; however, the competitive bidding environment has generated a different kind of consumer. Because of the delays and disruption of goods and services, customers are now more likely to forego the delays and simply purchase products out of pocket. It\’92s a slow shift, but over time we have seen an increase in consumers with cash. As a result of the upswing in private pay customers, we’ve also seen a growth in the number of HME providers expanding product offerings to include ramps and lifts.

HC: What is the most important thing that HME providers can do to stay competitive in this market?

KR: HME providers that display a true sense of care and understanding for their customers are our most successful ramp dealers. Caring forges the kind of trust needed in our business to be successful because what we do is personal. While this may not be the easiest path to follow, HME providers will be able to maintain growth when the customer is handled with care.