Gendron, Inc.

Established 1872

400 E. Lugbill Rd.

Archbold, OH 43502

Phone: [phone] Fax: [phone]

Toll Free: [phone]

www.gendroninc.com

Peter Gendron applied for a patent for his wire wheel design in August of 1873 and was granted patent number 150021 in April of 1874. Gendron returned to his hometown of Toledo in 1875 and began using his wheels on baby carriages. Soon they could also be found on wheelchairs (then also known as invalid chairs"), children's pedal cars, coaster wagons, wheelbarrows, doll carriages, tricycles and bicycles. Peter Gendron's early entry into wheelchair manufacture confers upon Gendron, Inc., the distinction of being the oldest, longest-operating manufacturer of wheelchairs in the United States.

In 1880, Gendron Wheel Company, also previously known as the Gendron Iron Wheel Company, was incorporated. By 1890, the company had more than 300 employees, and by 1910, its manufacturing plant occupied more than 250,000 sq. ft. of floor space.

According to Harvey Scribner in his book, Memoirs of Lucas County and the City of Toledo, published in 1910, Peter Gendron and his employees designed not only the wheeled goods the Gendron Wheel Company sold, but many of the machines used in their manufacture. Peter Gendron was quite a trailblazer. Scribner wrote, [Gendron Wheel Company] "was not only the originator of the wire wheel, but it has been the recognized leader in goods of that class."

Gendron Wheel Company moved to Perrysburg, Ohio, in 1941. The advent of World War II prompted the company to suspend its manufacture of children's vehicles and focus on hospital equipment: wheelchairs and wheeled stretchers. In 1959, most of the company's manufacturing was moved to the Archbold, Ohio, plant (today's headquarters), and the Perrysburg plant closed in 1963. The company name was changed to Gendron, Inc., in 1975 as part of a change in ownership. Today, Gendron manufactures many different types of wheelchairs, "providing mobility for people with special needs." What started with one man and his idea for a wire wheel has evolved into a worldwide corporation with a market that extends from the United States to South America, Mexico, the Caribbean, Europe, Canada, the Middle East and Asia.

The company is very proud of its place in the history of long-term care. Perhaps Gendron's biggest contribution to improving long-term care has been addressing the bariatric resident market. This is a group with some very special needs that must be addressed. The idea is to provide severely obese people mobility and freedom, when in the past they have been mostly confined to bed rest. There are significant health and cost benefits to this strategy, as well as tremendous psychological advantages. Gendron strives to be the one place to go for bariatric mobility by offering heavy-duty bath safety products, commodes and other mobility devices.

The company has worked hard on constantly improving the design of its bariatric chairs. Safety features for a wheelchair such as this are crucial. For example, an electronic braking system is necessary for a power wheelchair that must bear a great deal of weight, in case the operator accidentally shifts into neutral when maneuvering up a ramp.

Gendron also offers customized options and sizes, because one-size-fits-all wheelchairs don't match bariatric patient needs. The company has steadily received more and more special order requests and expects that trend to continue. Because there is an increasing use of outpatient services and hospital stays have become shorter, Gendron aims for the quickest shipment possible-ideally in days instead of weeks. That kind of response is invaluable for both residents and their caregivers, who can't wait for a piece of equipment that's vital to improving health and lifestyle.

Gendron would like to be remembered by future historians for being a pioneer--from the 19th century when Peter Gendron perfected his wheel design in his garage, through the 20th century when Gendron responded to the special needs of long-term care residents. The company is looking forward to pioneering new solutions for long-term care in the 21" century.