MEDIchair Ltd Franchise News

July 10, 2008 // Franchising.com // - Abbotsford, British Columbia – It is not every day that get one gets to work at increasingly more senior positions until one day you own the company. However, that's precisely what happened to Jason Clarke who started working with MEDIchair Abbotsford in 2002 as a service technician. Later he would be promoted to the position of general manager and director. Today, he owns MEDIchair Abbotsford.

"It seems like just like yesterday that I started working at MEDIchair Abbotsford," explains Clarke who has a decade of experience in the health care field. "The previous owners had a lot of faith in me that allowed me to evolve and try new things to grow the business."

Clarke explains that his 2000 square foot store is designed to provide a broad range of retail products...

June 19, 2008 // Franchising.com // - Terrace, British Columbia -- "We are definitely the largest MEDIchair franchise territory in BC," says Garry Roth who along with brother Dennis and sister-in-law Darlene own a new local company called MEDIchair North Coast. "I don't know the exact total number of square miles but I do know that it's larger than the country of France," smiles Roth. "We've been told it's about 1/5th of the total land mass of British Columbia. Our territory is bounded by the Queen Charlotte Islands in the west, the Yukon border in the north, Kitimat in the south and Houston in the east. Any way you look at it, we have a big territory."

The Roth brothers decided to get into home medical equipment business on the advice of Dennis Roth's wife...

June 17, 2008 // Franchising.com // - Brandon, Manitoba -- MEDIchair Brandon is hosting its 4th annual consumer "Meet & Greet" on Thursday June 19 at 2430 Victoria Avenue. (between Petro-Canada & Kam Lung Restaurant). "We are proud of our reputation as one of the largest sales, service and rental suppliers of mobility and home medical equipment products in western Canada," Susan Sutter, manager of MEDIchair . "We want the people of Brandon to see and test-drive all the latest equipment from the best suppliers in North America. That's why we've assembled the top-of-the line suppliers with the best equipment designed to get mobility challenged people across the room, up the stairs, down the sidewalk or across town in their vehicle."
What: 4th Annual Public "Meet & Greet"...

May 27, 2008 // Franchising.com // - Thunder Bay, Ontario – At the 14th Annual Business Awards, the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce presented MEDIchair Thunder Bay with the Business Excellence Award for small business.

"We are delighted to receive this prestigious award," says MEDIchair Thunder Bay co-owner Barb Ceresino. "Success in the Home Medical Equipment business is built on personal relationships and providing each customer with knowledgeable solutions to help enhance their quality of life issues."

Co-owner Jim Migliazza added, "This award is a tribute to the hard work, dedication and passion of our employees to make a difference in the lives of our customers."
About MEDIchair 'The Home Medical Equipment Specialists'MEDIchair, a LifeMark Health Management company, is North America's largest and fastest growing Home Medical Equipment (HME) franchise company with stores from coast-to-coast in Canada...

May 01, 2008 // Franchising.com // - Norm Gervais, Owner of MEDIchair Sudbury had been looking for the right business partner to help expand and grow his home medical equipment business within his franchise territory, in particular the city of Elliot Lake, a 1.5 hour drive from Sudbury. In early 2008, Gervais partnered with Elliot Lake entrepreneur Carolyn Séguin, owner of C&R Variety Plus to open MEDIchair Elliot Lake.

"Elliot Lake is a modern, fast growing community with abundant business opportunities, an active retirement population and a growing all-season tourist industry," says Gervais. "Carolyn Séguin allows MEDIchair to have a beachhead in the community to showcase our home medical equipment (HME) products and services as well as provide local, hands on service to customers...

April 22, 2008 // Franchising.com // Saint John, Fredericton & Moncton, New Brunswick and Calgary, Alberta – For the first time in the history of the "Franchisee of the Year Award", MEDIchair has named MEDIchair Saint John, MEDIchair Fredericton and MEDIchair Moncton as joint winners of its Franchisee of the Year award for 2007. All three franchises are owned by Randy McLaughlin. In presenting the awards, MEDIchair COO Bas van Lankvelt explained that the award is the most prestigious that the Company offers to its franchisees who operate more than 65 stores across Canada. "It is our highest achievement award and is presented annually to the franchisee who best exemplifies MEDIchair's core values of care, knowledge, value and customer service excellence...

April 07, 2008 // Franchising.com // - Regina, Saskatchewan – MEDIchair is pleased to announce that MEDIchair Regina has been selected as the winner of the 2007 Harry Mykolaishyn Best Dressed Store Award among the organization's 65+ franchise stores across Canada. The award is presented annually to the MEDIchair franchisee whose overall store layout, design, and presentation, (as seen through the eyes of the customer), best exemplifies MEDIchair's core values of care, knowledge, value and customer service excellence.

"Cheryl and Dan Olsen have done an outstanding job with the total layout and design of their new store," says Bas van Lankvelt, MEDIchair's COO. "They have doubled their floor space and in the process created a total customer oriented store -- from the parking lot -- to the showroom -- to the vehicle modification bays...

April 01, 2008 // Franchising.com // - Cranbrook & Castlegar, BC – It is not every day that business owners mentor employees so they can assume the role of new owners, and then once the sale is concluded the previous owners become employees. That's precisely what happened to David Stokes and Dana Tippe, the new co-owners of MEDIchair Cranbrook/Castlegar. "It was a wonderful experience to be mentored for a year by the previous owners Michiel and Lanna van der Velden and then have them continue to work with us," says Stokes. "All things considered, the transition has been seamless. It's also comforting to have the previous owners stay on with the company as valued team members to help continue our growth. In fact Mike is now our Manager of Elevating and Lifts and Lanna is our Director of Operations...

March 13, 2008 // Franchising.com // - Ottawa, Ontario – "2007 was a year of exceptional growth for MEDIchair Ottawa," says General Manager Jim Mullins. " Since the beginning of the year, we noticed that there was a steady increase in demand for HME products and services. We had already made a business decision to upgrade the store and expand our range of products and services, but the new business prompted us to move faster. As we reached the end of the year, we added new staff, gave our store a complete facelift and broadened our product lines."

Mullins added, "Some of the growth we've experienced is attributable to our Veteran's Affairs contract with the federal government, (maintenance of Lifting Devices), Ottawa's healthy economy, an aging population of baby boomers and new retirees from Ottawa's high tech sector...

March 13, 2008 // Franchising.com // - Regina, SK – "The strong growth trend of the Saskatchewan economy prompted us to make a major expansion at the end of 2007," says Cheryl Olson, co-owner of MEDIchair Regina. "We fully expect that our Home Medical Equipment (HME) business will be able to benefit from that growth trend. In addition to a healthy, vibrant economy, more and more people from Regina's surrounding rural communities are needing the HME products that MEDIchair provides. As well, an aging population of baby boomers in the Regina area are demanding more home medical equipment than ever before."

Co-owner Dan Olson added: "Today, people are also living longer than in previous generations and many are choosing to stay in their homes rather than move to a senior's residence...

February 07, 2008 // Franchising.com // - Calgary, Alberta and Newmarket, Ontario – MEDIchair, Canada's largest Home Medical Equipment (HME) franchise company has joined forces with CHATS (Community Home Assistance To Seniors) to open a new store in Newmarket to serve the needs of seniors and their caregivers in York Region.

"This is an exciting new development for MEDIchair in Ontario," says MEDIchair's COO, Bas van Lankvelt. "Combined, MEDIchair and CHATS will provide a higher level of customer service. CHATS is a proven leader in assisting seniors with individual care and caregiver support in pursuit of independent living. MEDIchair is a Canadian leader in providing home medical and mobility equipment for seniors. Together, MEDIchair-CHATS will provide seniors and caregivers with a superior health care option...