Unfortunately, some of our competitors, and organizations they belong to, would lead consumers to believe that self-installation of a stair lift can create safety issues. However, the facts indicate otherwise; AmeriGlide has sold over 35,000 straight stair lifts throughout the United States, the majority of which have been installed by the homeowner or a trusted handyman. We are pleased to advise all consumers that AmeriGlide has never had a reported case of anyone injured on a stair lift we sold. Zero cases!
Despite the our incident free record, the protectionists in our industry would prefer to create regulations to restrict your access to equipment by requiring needless inspections, permits, and other red tape. Some states have even adopted or are considering the adoption of statutes regulating who can install simple stair lift equipment. These efforts are counter-productive to the needs of our aging population and only serve to significantly raise the cost of stair lifts thereby decreasing utilization. In short, these regulations needlessly price many consumers out of the market in the name of safety; however there is no documentation of any type to support the need for such actions. These regulations are being implemented under the guise of protecting the consumer’s safety when in reality they are classic examples of overzealous protectionism.
We, at AmeriGlide, prefer to let the facts speak for themselves. We understand those that disagree with our position do so for multiple reasons, none of which can be supported by facts or figures, but rather are driven by the industry’s desire to protect the “status quo.” Despite efforts to over-regulate our products, AmeriGlide remains committed to its mission of providing quality stair lifts at the most affordable prices with the specific objective of increasing utilization by lowering the entry cost for the consumer. And that is exactly what we have done over the last 13 years.
As an interested consumer, contractor, or medical equipment professional you may find a little history interesting. AmeriGlide is the originator of Do It Yourself Stair lift Installation. In 2000, management identified stair lifts as a product that was underutilized in the United States and determined that underutilization was the result of high cost to the consumer. Our objective was to produce and market a stair lift solution that would cost the consumer less than $2,000, thus making stair accessibility more affordable.
In 2000, the stair lift industry was estimated by our manufacturer to be 15,000 new units per year. We, along with our manufacturer, worked diligently to reduce manufacturing costs with the target of the $1999 stair lift. Today, 13 years later, we are supplying new stair lifts for less than $1900 delivered, and we estimate the market unitization has grown to over 50,000 units a year. Our stair lift sales by units doubled once our delivered price fell below $2000, thus proving that price is a barrier for our clients and supporting the obvious conclusion that regulations that add unnecessary costs should be avoided if we are to help the aging segment of our society remain in their homes and enjoy their golden years.
In addition, AmeriGlide offers used stair lifts at substantially reduced prices, opening the market to those who cannot afford a new stair chair. With over 50,000 new units sold per year, the used market is one which is naturally growing and providing affordable accessibility solutions for tens of thousands of needy persons every year.
Our mission is becoming increasingly important considering the significant demographic shift that is happening in the United States. With over 80,000,000 baby boomers turning 65 years of age over the next 17 years, we have a responsibility to meet the needs of our aging population. The vast majority of baby boomers would prefer to spend their golden years in their homes and stair lifts often can be an integral part of achieving that objective. The question then becomes: why should we make it more difficult for a vulnerable segment of our population to get the tools and equipment they need to enjoy a better quality of life?
We at AmeriGlide pride ourselves on offering stair lift products that are affordable, safe, easy to install, and undoubtedly the best value on the market. Our customers obviously agree as they have made us the #1 stair lift provider in the United States.