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Permobil adds power assist to portfolio

Permobil adds power assist to portfolio

LEBANON, Tenn. - Permobil has acquired MAX Mobility, the Nashville, Tenn.-based manufacturer of the SmartDrive power assist device.

MAX Mobility's most recent release, the SmartDrive MX2+ with PushTracker, works on virtually any manual wheelchair on the market.

“Almost three out of four manual wheelchair users have shoulder pain already,” said Mark Richter, Ph.D., CEO of MAX Mobility, who will join Permobil as senior group innovation advisor, working across the power, manual, and seating and positioning portfolios. “By becoming part of Permobil and adding power assist to the portfolio, we can expand our reach and reduce should pain for users globally.”

The SmartDrive device, which weighs just over 12 pounds, attaches to the back of the user's manual wheelchair and uses a built-in battery to power the chair for miles on a single charge.

Larry Jackson, president of Permobil Business Region Americas, says SmartDrive “greatly expands our offering and will provide an independent mobility solution for our users globally.”

MAX Mobility is only the most recent of a number of acquisitions for Permobil in 2017, including Comfort Company in October.

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