The story
Inventor Thomas Kruse, along with his brothers George and Robert and his stepfather Gerald Ewing, founded Hoveround Corporation in April 1992. Built to increase the mobility of wheelchair users, the Hoveround prototype maximized ease-of-operation, comfort and durability.
The name “Hoveround” is the brainchild of Tom Kruse. He blended the word “hover” (based on the hovering look of the wheelchair), with the Beach Boys’ song “I Get Around”. Kruse had been listening to the song on the radio while driving to a power chair promotional event and came up with the Hoveround name.
On June 28, 1994, Hoveround began selling its power wheelchairs direct to the customer. Within 90 days, Hoveround was profitable.
Hoveround achieved FDA certification as a registered manufacturer in 1994, followed by ISO 9001 certification in 1997. In 1998, private holding company Jordan Industries purchased an 80% stake in Hoveround. The remaining stock remained with Kruse and his brothers.
From Wikipedia’s article on Hoveround, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3