Tom Rolick's special sauce? Chemistry

ALLENTOWN, Pa. - Tom Rolick wants to make Handicare US a “special company.”

“What separates a good company from a special company is chemistry,” said Rolick, Handicare US's newly minted CEO. “It's like in sports—they all have similar skills, so it's the chemistry that differentiates one team from another.”

Rolick spent 22 years at Permobil, infusing chemistry into that company's sales team, and one of his first goals at Handicare US is to do the same there.

Here's what Rolick had to say about Handicare US's plans to expand its sales efforts and make a big push in HME.

HME news: Handicare is a global company with multiple divisions but its US operations are focused on safe patient handling products, right?

Tom Rolick: Yes, when people think of Handicare, they think of wheelchairs and on a global scale the company has had that presence, but it recently sold its mobility division to Sunrise Medical. What we do, and what we've always done, is everything that moves a patient, whether it's a belt or a lift.  

HME: How do you plan to expand Handicare US's sales efforts?

Rolick: For the last three years, the company has focused on a narrow market segment for its lift business: new construction. The goal now is to open up that market to all of home care.

HME: Why is the safe patient handling market a good market for providers to be in?

Rolick: When you look at aging in place, the concept has been around forever, but it's finally becoming a reality.

HME: What role does chemistry play in crystalizing all of these efforts?

Rolick: We're developing a culture of success focused on exceeding expectations, and the key expectation is focusing on the consumer and improving the life of the consumer.