Ki Mobility solidifies presence in Canada

STEVENS POINT, Wis. - Ki Mobility's acquisition of NuVision Rehab Group and Western Home Medical, both in Calgary, allows the company to warehouse and distribute its products directly in and from Canada.

As a result of the acquisition, Ki Mobility, which manufactures seating and mobility products and serves as the North American distributor for Leckey, has also launched a new division, Ki Mobility Canada LTD.

“We're doing that very sporadically right now,” said Doug Munsey, president of Ki Mobility. “This allows us to increase our capabilities to the Canadian customer.”

NuVision Rehab Group, a sales rep firm, has been representing Ki Mobility in Canada for the past four years. It will continue to represent and distribute its existing product lines, including the line of soft goods and upholstery type products from Western Home Medical.

Having more of a base in Canada became a priority for Ki Mobility as delivery delays and charges for shipping products across the border began to add up, especially for lower-cost products like cushions, Munsey says.

“When you're shipping a wheelchair, waiting an extra day and a $10 customer charge isn't a big deal,” he said. “But for a cushion, that significantly adds to the cost.”

Ki Mobility is also in the process of putting together a business plan to add to its capabilities in Canada. Plans include adding replacement and service parts to warehouse and distribute, and adding a warehouse in Ontario, Munsey says.

“(Canada) is a sizeable part of our business and our dealers there expect the same experience as our U.S. dealers,” he said.