Carey Britton on 'the other side'

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - With his many years of experience, Carey Britton could be in more of a management role, but sitting behind a desk is not for him. Here's what Britton, who recently received a Distinguished Service Award from NRRTS and who is a seating and mobility specialist for National Seating & Mobility, had to say about how working with kids with challenges makes his 12-hour days worth it.

HME News: You started in this industry when you were just 22, launching an Amigo franchise with your father. Then in 1999, you separated from Amigo and launched Active Mobility Center to focus more on complex rehab. Why?

Carey Britton: We realized that Amigo didn't give us the ability to follow and support our customers who had more specialized needs. We ran that until 2015.

HME: Then you sold to NSM?

Britton: With all the market pressures and the receivables issues—everything is just brutal. Unfortunately, as a mom-and-pop company, finding staff and doing it right is difficult. We had been approached by NSM and we decided to sell.

HME: But you've stayed on at NSM.

Britton: Yes, we're here in the same building with the same clients. At first, I was the only ATP, but we're growing and now we have three ATPs. It's been a good run.

HME: Why do you still want to have a hands-on role in the business, let alone be in the business at all? You could have sold and retired.

Britton: There's no other industry that I have found or seen where you can actually work with someone, see their challenges, help them come up with solutions and deliver something that improves their lives. If you're a doctor, you're treating their symptoms; if you're a PT, you're just trying to get them back on their feet. This job is amazing in the sense that you see someone in their darkest moments and you see them out the other side.

HME: You received the Distinguished Service Award. Why is service so important in this industry?

Britton: When you start becoming part of the community—when you go to the Miracle League baseball games and see these kids play—it becomes more than a business or a job, it kind of becomes your life. One or two weekends a month, I'm in the community doing advocacy or some type of outreach. These people are my family and friends.

HME: Were you surprised to receive the award?

Britton: It was pretty shocking. I told my wife it was a surprise. Most people don't get awards until they retire or die; I'm still doing this and doing it well.