History of The Furniss Corporation
The Past: Pre-1997
Danninger Medical Technology began manufacturing Continuous Passive Motion devices in the 1980’s in Columbus, Ohio. Danninger Medical produced many series of Knee CPMs beginning with the 300 series and later on with the 400 series and finally ending with the 500 lower limb CPM. In addition to the knee products, Danninger also produced Upper Extremity devices for the hand, Model 900 and for the shoulder, Model 600.
In March of 1997, Danninger Medical was sold and dissolved manufacturing, distribution and sales operations that they had maintained for a number of years worldwide.
Birth of a New Company
In recognizing a tremendous need for service and support across the United States for the tens of thousands of Danninger products in use, McKelor Technologies was born.
In June of 1997, several members from the operational staff of Danninger Medical established McKelor Technologies, Ltd. Their focus was to support the clients across the United States that had invested in product lines that were discontinued by the sale of Danninger Medical.
In 1999, McKelor's engineering staff began development of their own lines of CPM products. The focus in development of the new CPM products was to manufacture devices that were more durable, more compact, and most importantly more simple to use. Their dedication to meeting the needs and expectations of the client and the patient resulted in the introduction, in early 2000, of the first model in the Phoenix Knee Series, the 1800 analog. This unit was specifically designed to be the replacement for the Danninger 400i and 400ix models.
The New Generation: McKelor...a CPM and Softgoods Company
In 2001, with manufacturing in full swing, McKelor's staff grew and operations increased in all areas. In fall of 2001, the company was purchased from the original founders. The new management team, with a strong background in manufacturing, marketing and distribution, began to lay the ground work for the future of McKelor Technologies and the CPM industry as well.
Over the next year, the new management team refined the manufacturing operations, expanded into a larger plant and began development of the second Knee CPM in the Phoenix Series, the model 1850 LED. This unit, which was launched in July of 2003, was designed as the replacement for the popular Danninger 450 and 460 Knee CPMs which were discontinued in 1997.
At the same time of release of the Model 1850, McKelor established sewing operations at its Grove City facility for CPM Softgood Pads. Expanding into the sewing production of CPM Softgood Pads enabled McKelor to be a full service provider to the clients CPM needs and also set the standards of quality necessary to maximize a positive experience for the patient.
In 2006, a third Knee CPM product line was developed and released as the DC2480. This product rounded out Mckelor's Knee CPM product offering with an extended range of motion and design enhancements that feature a low profile tube design. Additionally, the MTL2470 Shoulder CPM was also released to meet the needs of the upper extremity market. As with the Knee CPM product lines, the MTL2470 Shoulder incorporates the same standards of durability and simplicity.
The company has evolved over the years from a small service company to a premier CPM manufacturing business. The principles of being a source of support, knowledge and expertise for the thousands of providers of CPM therapy across the United States are what we stand by.
The Future of CPM Is Now
Mckelor becomes The Furniss Corporation, Ltd.
In 2001, Andy Furniss purchased Mckelor Technologies with the primary focus of making it a leader in the CPM manufacturing industry. The core mission of the company has been from day one to be the leader in education, innovation and technology. The company has made it a priority to be a promoter of the therapy and be the established standard of quality for CPM devices in the field.
This year, 2008, the company was renamed The Furniss Corporation, Ltd. The future of CPM is now and the company name reflects the people that have brought us here today and will take us to tomorrow.
Furniss Corp as we our now referred to as, is proud of our history and of our founder. The drive is even stronger today as it was in 2001 to create a premier company in CPM. We are here to serve the therapy and all that provide it with the highest standards in products and services. We continue to create more history and will for some time to come.