Our Company

Better mobility for life

Our history

In 1989, Marcel Bourassa found a small company called Savaria that was building wheelchair lifts. Looking for a business he could grow for the long term, he saw the potential to serve the growing needs of the aging population. He purchased Savaria and set upon a path to expand the company’s product line and distribution.

Reflecting on its 30-year journey, Savaria stands proud as a leading manufacturer in the accessibility industry, a testament to the dedication and effort of the entire team. In 2014, the company further demonstrated its commitment to social responsibility by establishing the Bourassa Savaria Foundation, aimed at assisting those with mobility challenges.

Savaria Accessibility in Asia

Savaria is a global leader in accessibility solutions, specializing in personal mobility in and out of the home.

With a strong commitment to making a positive difference in people’s lives, we design, manufacture, and install products to make people live, work, and play more accessible. With a dedicated team of over 2,300 employees worldwide, we strive to provide the best possible service to our customers, both directly and through our trusted network of international partners.

Our product portfolio is one of the widest in the world. Within our accessibility division, we offer a wide range of solutions, including home elevators such as the Vuelift panoramic glass elevator, commercial lifts, stairlifts, and wheelchair platform lifts. Additionally, our patient handling division provides ceiling track lifts and patient slings.

As part of the Savaria Corporation, both Handicare and Garaventa Lift contribute to our mission of accessibility. Garaventa Lift joined our company in 2018, followed by Handicare in 2021. This strategic expansion has further strengthened our ability to cater to diverse customer needs across the globe.

With 11 state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in North & Central America, Europe, and China, we are well-positioned to efficiently reach global markets and tailor our products to meet specific customer requirements. Furthermore, our extensive sales offices, spanning over 30 locations worldwide, ensure that our accessibility solutions are easily accessible to customers everywhere.

At Savaria, we are committed to our mission of providing “Better Mobility for Life.” We constantly strive to innovate and provide cutting-edge solutions that enhance accessibility and improve the quality of life for our customers. With a strong focus on customer satisfaction and a dedication to excellence, we look forward to continuing to lead the industry in the years to come. Our vision is to be the premier accessibility solutions provider, recognized worldwide for our commitment to quality, innovation, and customer service. We are excited about the future and the opportunity to make a positive impact on the lives of people around the world.

Info for investors

About us

Our divisions

While the headquarters of Savaria Corporation are in Laval, Quebec, Canada, the Company operates several divisions around the world. Here are the major divisions:

Savaria Concord Lifts Inc.
Elevating & lift division with manufacturing in Brampton, Ontario Canada and Magog, Quebec Canada (ceiling lifts)

Savaria Huizhou & Xiamen, China
Pre-assembly operations in China for home elevators, wheelchair- and stairlifts.

Handicare Stairlifts International
Stairlift division with manufacturing in Kingswinford, UK and Heerhugowaard, The Netherlands

Garaventa Lift
Elevating & lift division with manufacturing in Surrey, British Columbia Canada and Milan, Italy

Span America / Span Medical Products
Medical beds and therapeutic surfaces with manufacturing in Greenville, South Carolina USA and Beamsville, Ontario Canada
Handicare & Garaventa Lift as part of Savaria

With the shared vision of enhancing accessibility and making a positive impact on people’s lives, Handicare and Garaventa Lift have seamlessly integrated into the Savaria Corporation, bringing with them their extensive experience, expertise, and capabilities. This strategic expansion has further strengthened our ability to meet diverse customer needs and provide exceptional accessibility solutions worldwide.

Garaventa Lift: Since 1928
Garaventa Lifts’ origins trace back to 1928 in Switzerland, where Karl Garaventa built his first of many cable cars. In 1967, the company entered North America and began designing and building mountain tramways. Garaventa Lift manufactured its first wheelchair lift in 1978 and has since provided accessibility solutions for residential homes, businesses, government buildings, schools, places of worship, and transit systems around the world. In 2008, Garaventa Lift expanded to become an industry leader in home elevators.

Handicare Stairlifts: Since 1886
The roots of Handicare go back to the year 1886 when its founder, Mr. Jan Hamber, established a “technical trading firm” selling lifts and other items. Innovation has always been in Handicare’s DNA throughout its over 135-year history. The company has been at the forefront of making stairlifts safer, more user-friendly, and customizable to suit individual requirements. Handicare continues to take big steps forward to serve its customers in the best ways possible. Its innovative PhotoSurvey tool accurately measures staircases while generating a 3D image of the stairlift that will appear in the home.

Handicare stairlifts increase the independence of people in later life or with disabilities, enabling them to live an active life on their terms. It sells straight and curved stairlifts for indoor and outdoor installations in over 40 countries worldwide.
Company leadership

MARCEL BOURASSA
Executive Chairman
With his vision of an aging population in need of accessibility equipment in the future, Mr. Marcel Bourassa purchased Savaria in 1989, taking the company public in 2002. In 2014, he formed the Bourassa Savaria Foundation a registered Canadian charity that provides funding to people with mobility challenges. In 2018 Mr. Bourassa was honored by Les Affaires as CEO of the Year for a medium-sized Canadian enterprise. He holds a BBA from HEC Montreal. On August 5, 2021, Mr. Bourassa, was named one of seven EY Entrepreneur of The Year® 2021 Québec winners.

SEBASTIEN BOURASSA
President & CEO
Mr. Sebastien Bourassa oversees all business segments to help meet sales and profitability targets, as well as helps ensure that strategic initiatives are communicated and implemented across all divisions of Savaria, promoting a teamwork culture. He was instrumental in setting up operations for Savaria in China in 2007. This initiative has provided critical advantages for Savaria and Savaria Huizhou has continuously grown in size. He has a BBA from HEC Montreal and an EMBA from Ivey Business School in Hong Kong.

STEPHEN REITKNECHT
CFO
Mr. Reitknecht assumed the role of chief financial officer for Savaria Corporation in September 2020 and is responsible for providing strategic financial leadership for the company. Prior to joining Savaria, Mr. Reitknecht worked for global and Canadian public and privately held companies spanning multiple industries including medical device manufacturing, wholesale distribution and technology services. Mr. Reitknecht has a B. Comm. in economics and is a designated accountant in Ontario, Canada (CPA, CA).

JEAN-PHILIPPE DEMONTIGNY
CTO
Mr. Jean-Philippe DeMontigny joined Savaria as Chief Transformation Officer in January 2024. Prior to joining Savaria, Jean-Philippe was a partner at McKinsey & Company starting his career with them in 2004. He has extensive experience in creating successful growth acceleration strategies for manufacturing companies of similar sizes to Savaria. He has expertise in optimizing procurement and supply chain management as well as organization design. Mr. DeMontigny has an MBA from INSEAD and a Bachelor of Commerce from HEC Montreal.

ALEXANDRE BOURASSA
President, North America Accessibility
Mr. Alex Bourassa oversees worldwide dealer sales of the elevator and lift division as well as direct store operations in North America and Australia. Under his strong leadership, dealer sales have continued to grow, and distribution has strengthened across the U.S. market. His acumen for sales and product knowledge has contributed to the leadership position Savaria enjoys today.

VINCE SCIAMANNA
President – Garaventa Lift Group N.A.
Mr. Sciamanna joined Savaria in 2018 following the acquisition by Savaria of Garaventa Accessibility AG group. He began his career with Garaventa Lift in 1999. Vince joined the Garaventa Lift Group management team as Global Director of Business Development. Mr. Sciamanna holds a degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Berne.

LES TEAGUE
Group President – Patient Care
Mr. Teague joined Savaria in 2017 following the acquisition by Savaria of Span America Medical Systems. At that time, he was Vice President of Business Development. Mr. Teague was named President of Span America January 1, 2021. Prior to joining Span America, he held a variety of roles, including President, of a large manufacturer and packager of personal care products. Mr. Teague has an undergraduate degree in Biology from The University of Georgia and a Master of Business Administration from the University of South Carolina.

PATRICK MONGEAU
Vice President Business Development – Patient Care
Mr. Mongeau joined Savaria in October 2021. Prior to joining Savaria, Mr. Mongeau held a variety of positions over 20 years at Arjo, most recently as Global VP of Product Development. He has vast experience in the patient care industry including research and development as well as sales and business development strategies. Mr. Mongeau has a Marketing degree, 1st cycle from The University of Québec in Montréal, Canada.

CLARE BROPHY
President, EUROW Accessibility
Ms. Brophy joined Savaria in 2021 following the acquisition by Savaria of Handicare AB. She began her career with Handicare in 2009 following its acquisition of the stairlift business she had co-founded and grew from GBP 0 to GBP 21M in 13 years, becoming UK Managing Director in 2017 and a member of the senior management team in 2018. In her current role, President of Europe / Rest of World Accessibility, Ms. Brophy oversees sales and operations for Savaria and Garaventa accessibility products in the UK, Europe and Far East.

DAVID TEMPLE
Vice-President Finance, Europe (Accessibility Segment)
Mr. Temple joined Savaria in 2021 following the acquisition by Savaria of Handicare AB. He began his career with Handicare in 2011 as Finance Director of the UK division, and has held various roles in the finance function, the most recent of which is Vice President of Finance for Accessibility in Europe. Previously he had worked in similar roles for Doncasters, CommaTech, and Royal Worcester and Spode. Mr. Temple has a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Management Sciences and is an associate member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.

LAUREEN CUSHING
Global Vice-President, Human Resources
Ms. Cushing joined Savaria in June 2021 in the role of Global Vice President of Human Resources and is responsible for providing strategic Human Resources leadership for the company. She has held several progressive roles in the field of HR, leading large, transformation initiatives and partnering with leaders and stakeholders to ensure the delivery of HR and business strategy. Ms. Cushing has a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) Human Resource Management and is a Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL).

SYLVAIN AUBRY
Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary
Mr. Aubry holds more than 20 years of experience in corporate, M&A and securities laws having worked mainly for publicly traded companies. He joined Savaria in March 2018 and is responsible for providing strategic legal leadership for the company. Prior to joining Savaria, he held the position of Legal Affairs and Corporate Secretary at Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. from 2004 to 2018. Prior to, Mr. Aubry has worked for global and Canadian public and privately held companies spanning multiple industries. Mr. Aubry has a Law bachelor’s degree and is a member of the Québec Bar.
Bourassa Savaria Foundation

The Bourassa Savaria Foundation was created in 2014 to support people facing mobility challenges. It aims to provide financial assistance to in-need Canadians with disabilities related to physical mobility. It was founded by Marcel Bourassa, President, and CEO of Savaria Corporation.

If you’d like to donate, apply for funding, or learn more…

Foundation page go to Bourassa Savaria Foundation page