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.

As the CEO of Savaria today, Marcel looks back on 30 years of history with a deep sense of pride for what the entire team at the company and he have accomplished to become a leading manufacturer in the accessibility industry. In 2014, he created the Bourassa Savaria Foundation to give back to people challenged with mobility issues.

Savaria is all about products that help improve mobility. Whether that is for your home or in public spaces, we design and build products to make life more accessible. Savaria employs over 2,300 people around the world including 50 staff in research and development dedicated to creating new products and innovations for improving existing products.

Our product portfolio is one of the widest in the world and includes home elevators, commercial lifts, stairlifts and ceiling lifts. Complementing our Savaria manufacturing facilities in North America, Mexico and China are our Handicare stairlift factories and distribution centres in the UK and Netherlands. This worldwide presence allows us to more efficiently reach global markets to meet the needs of specific customer requirements.

At the heart of the company, our employees know what they do can make a true, positive difference in people’s lives. We are proud of our customer service that ensures the longevity of our customer relationships.

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  • 1979

    Company founded

    Company founded

    January 1, 1979
  • 1989

    Purchased by Marcel Bourassa

    Purchased by Marcel Bourassa

    January 1, 1989
  • 2002

    Becomes publicly traded TSX:SIS

    Becomes publicly traded TSX:SIS

    January 1, 2002
  • 2005

    Acquisition of Concord Elevator & Van Action

    Acquisition of Concord Elevator & Van Action

    January 1, 2005
  • 2007

    Opens Savaria Huizhou manufacturing (China)

    Opens Savaria Huizhou manufacturing (China)

    January 1, 2007
  • 2010

    Acquisition of Liberty Motor Co & Viewpoint Mobility

    Acquisition of Liberty Motor Co & Viewpoint Mobility

    October 1, 2010
  • 2014

    Asset purchase of Silver Cross

    Asset purchase of Silver Cross

    January 1, 2014
  • 2015

    Acquisition of 3 Silver Cross stores

    Acquisition of 3 Silver Cross stores

    January 1, 2015
  • 2016

    Asset purchase Shoppers Automotive division

    Asset purchase Shoppers Automotive division

    January 1, 2016
  • 2017

    Asset purchase of Premier Lifts & Visilift, acquisitions of Span-America & Master Lifts

    Asset purchase of Premier Lifts & Visilift, acquisitions of Span-America & Master Lifts

    January 1, 2017
  • 2018

    Asset purchase of H.E.S. Elevator Services & Acquisition of Garaventa Lift

    Asset purchase of H.E.S. Elevator Services & Acquisition of Garaventa Lift

    January 1, 2018
  • 2019

    Acquisition of Florida Lifts LLC & Silvalea

    Acquisition of Florida Lifts LLC & Silvalea

    January 1, 2019
  • 2021

    Acquisition of Handicare

    Acquisition of Handicare

    January 1, 2021
  • 2022

    Acquisition of Ultron

    Acquisition of Ultron

    January 1, 2022
About us
  • 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.

    Span America / Span Medical Products
    Medical beds and therapeutic surfaces with manufacturing in Greenville, South Carolina USA and Beamsville, Ontario Canada

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

  • MARCEL BOURASSA
    Chairman, President, and CEO – Savaria
    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.

    STEPHEN REITKNECHT
    CFO – Savaria
    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).

    SEBASTIEN BOURASSA
    Vice President Operations & Integrations – Savaria
    Mr. Sebastien Bourassa oversees general operations of Savaria and works with newly acquired businesses to maximize synergies. 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. He has a BBA from HEC Montreal and an EMBA from Ivey Business School in Hong Kong.

    ALEXANDRE BOURASSA
    Sales Vice President – Savaria
    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.

    LES TEAGUE
    President – Span America
    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.

    VINCE SCIAMANNA
    President – Garaventa Lift Group
    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.

    HÉLÈNE BERNIER
    Finance Vice President – Savaria
    Ms. Bernier is the Corporation’s Finance Vice President since 2004. With over 30 years of experience including over 15 years at Savaria, she has built expertise in reporting, internal controls, due diligence, merging & acquisitions, financing, and governance. She obtained her BAA in accounting from HEC Montréal and her CPA of Quebec during her professional training with the chartered accountant firm Deloitte.

  • 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…

Vuelift
savaria vuelift mini home elevator
Vuelift
Artira
Artira inclined platform lift
Artira
Brands

Representing Savaria, Garaventa Lift and Handicare brands in Asia

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1100
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