Hill-Rom
 | |
| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Medical Device Manufacturer |
| Founded | Batesville, Indiana (1929) |
| Headquarters | Batesville, Indiana |
Key people | John Greisch (President & CEO) |
| Products | Hospital beds, Lifts, Hospital Furniture, Wound care products, IT Solutions |
| Revenue | $1.507 billion USD (2008) |
Number of employees | 7,200 (2014) |
| Parent | Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc. |
| Website | www.hill-rom.com |
Hill-Rom, Inc., is a company that makes hospital beds, furniture, other health care equipment, and medical technology systems.
Hill-Rom is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc., and a former subsidiary of Hillenbrand Industries. Hill-Rom made up 65% of Hillenbrand Industries' revenue in 2004. In October 2008, Hill-Rom acquired Sweden-based Liko, a manufacturer of mobile and stationary patient lift systems and associated accessories for $183M.
The company has their primary offices and manufacturing facilities in Acton, MA, Batesville, IN, Cary, NC, Montpellier, France, Pluvigner (France), Monterrey, Mexico, and as well as a multitude of offices and service centers around the world. The Batesville, IN location is the global headquarters of the company, and is the base of the company's manufacturing operations in the United States. Hill-Rom and its former sister companies and subsidiaries represent one of the largest employers in the city of Batesville. The Cary location is the headquarters of the company's Clinical Workflow Solutions division, focusing on medical systems technology for nurse communication, fetal monitoring, patient safety, patient workflow, and bed and medical equipment interfaces. The Cary location is strategically located to benefit from the technology-focused workforce and partnerships available in the Research Triangle region of North Carolina.
History
Hill-Rom was founded on October 23, 1929 by William A. Hillenbrand. Originally, the company crafted wooden furniture for hospitals.
In 1927, William A. (Bill) Hillenbrand and his aunt Mary Mitchell initiated a project to open a community hospital. To staff the hospital, they turned to a family friend, Father Charles B. Moulinier, founder and president of the Catholic Hospital Association.
Father Moulinier had long admired the fine oak furniture being crafted by the local artisans and thought its beauty stood in harsh contrast to the cold metal furniture of hospital patient rooms. Bill realized he could "bring the home into the hospital" by offering hospitals wooden furniture to help create a warmer, more comfortable environment.
For the next two years, he researched his idea thoroughly by talking with doctors, nurses, interns, hospital administrators, and maintenance and housekeeping staff. Knowing his furniture had to be comfortable, functional and durable, he also studied safety designs.
In October 1929, as the country plummeted into the Great Depression, Bill founded Hill-Rom and began an unconventional marketing plan. He persuaded hospitals to furnish their private rooms with his wooden furniture for six months free of charge. If they weren’t satisfied, they could simply return the furniture. After the trial periods, none of the furniture was returned and some hospitals placed orders for more.