“Ralph Braun’s legacy is unmatchable and immeasurable,” said NMEDA executive director and CEO Dave Hubbard. “He is a true leader in an industry that began in the confines of his own home, and without his innovation or determination to overcome a disability, the automotive mobility industry certainly would not be what it is today.”
The NMEDA Hall of Fame was established to honor those who have contributed selflessly to the establishment and growth of the Automotive Mobility Industry. Inductees are recognized based on their initiative and leadership in supplying freedom and independence to people with disabilities.
“I want to thank the NMEDA Hall of Fame Committee for this great honor,” said Braun CEO Ralph Braun. “Mobility is essential to a person’s life and it’s rewarding to know my small part in this industry has helped others live full and active lives.”
His leadership has helped The Braun Corporation grow from just three part-time employees in 1969 to over 800 employees today, making the company the world’s largest manufacturer of wheelchair accessible vehicles, ramps and lifts.
Braun was given the Hall of Fame award at the 2012 NMEDA Conference Banquet in Phoenix, Arizona on Friday. Additional inductees recognized for their contributions include Becky Plank, Mike Bruno Sr., Peter Ruprecht, Martin Smith and Tom Wright.
For more information about the NMEDA Hall of Fame, please visit www.nmeda.org.
About The Braun Corporation
The Braun Corporation is the largest manufacturer of wheelchair accessible vans, ramps, and wheelchair lifts worldwide and enables people with physical disabilities to regain mobility and lead active and independent lives. The Indiana-based company was founded by Ralph Braun, who was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy at a young age and unable to walk by age 15. Ralph was motivated by his disability to invent the world’s first electric scooter (the Tri-Wheeler) and wheelchair lift (the Lift-A-Way) in his parents’ garage. Word spread and demand for the product increased, resulting in the birth of Save-A-Step Manufacturing, which ultimately became The Braun Corporation. The company offers the most diverse line of vehicle platforms in the industry, including the most popular minivan models from Dodge/Chrysler, Honda, and Toyota. For more information, or to find a dealer near you, please visit www.braunability.com or www.facebook.com/braunability.
About NMEDA
NMEDA is the non-profit association known internationally as an organization committed to ensuring quality and professionalism in the manufacturing and installation of safe and reliable transportation equipment for people with disabilities. Member benefits extend from marketing communications into the technical, legislative and even the financial realms of the industry. For more information about NMEDA, please visit www.nmeda.com.
Source: National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association
