News and Press

USA TODAY - Minivans add extra set of wheels for wheelchair users

A few companies have are cutting an interesting market segment out for themselves with handicapped-accessible minivans. One of them is BraunAbility, which converts Toyota Sienna minivans to accomodate wheelchairs with a side ramp.

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Collaboration, Inclusion Help Create that "Small-Town" Feeling

A small-town atmosphere is how director of Human Resources Cindy Garnett describes the work environment at BraunAbility, which also describes the actual geographic location of the company's headquarters and manufacturing facility in Winamac, Indiana.

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Ralph Braun quoted in The Wall Street Journal

Ralph Braun, CEO of The Braun Corporation, was quoted in The Wall Street Journal today. The article entitled "Obama Pushes New Job Stimulus" was in the December 9th, 2009 edition on page A2.

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Inc. Magazine article - How I Did It: Ralph Braun of BraunAbility

Ralph Braun, founder of BraunAbility, has spent his life thumbing his nose at spinal muscular atrophy, the disease that put him in a wheelchair. A born gearhead, Braun got moving again by building a battery-powered scooter and, later, a wheelchair lift for his van. Slowly, he turned these innovations into a business with $200 million in annual sales. Braun eventually closed the scooter business to focus on the lifts. But before he did, Braun made himself a lifetime supply of his scooters. "It's part of my wardrobe to have one of my triwheelers," he says.

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Braun Racing flourishing in Nationwide Series

At a time when many NASCAR teams are shrinking, Braun Racing is expanding, and at a time when independent Nationwide Series teams are struggling to keep up, Braun Racing appears to be flourishing.

In a series that has seen more than its share of car owners come and go in the last several years, Todd Braun has somehow managed to survive – and grow. Next year, he plans to field four full-time entries in the Nationwide Series, all with full sponsorship.

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A bump in the road: senior housing operators watch the auto industry with interest

With the future of the American automotive industry still in limbo, many consumers in the market for new vehicles remain cautious about where and how to spend their dollars. A large number of seniors housing operators are among that group.

Consumers, for example, have worried aloud whether a vehicle purchased today will be adequately supported if a manufacturer pauses a product line, or scraps it altogether. Others have wondered whether standard features of the past will become costlier add-ons in an effort to boost revenues – and, at the same time, whether some previously available upgrades and accessories will cease being offered in the future.

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Teen wins van, NASCAR trip

LEBANON - Kody Harlow is coming down from an action-packed weekend that took him on a whirlwind day trip to North Carolina, put him in the pit with racing pros and in a van that took a lap around the track as thousands cheered. »Read more...

Boy to get trip around NASCAR track

The 14-year-old may use a wheelchair, but Kody isn’t about to miss out on the thrills of teenage life. And now, he’s got the right vehicle to hit the streets in. Kody, of Clearcreek Twp., and his family will fly to Charlotte, N.C., Friday, Oct. 16, to meet Sprint Cup racer Jason Leffler and receive a handicapped-equipped van and wheelchair from Leffler’s sponsor, Braun Ability. Leffler will take the family on a lap around the track at the Lowe’s Speedway in the van prior to a race. Kody won the van through an essay contest sponsored by Braun, beating out more than 6,000 entrants.

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Toyota and BraunAbility Announce Winner of "Ultimate Fan Van Giveaway"

REUTERS: Kody was one of 6,000 contestants who submitted essays explaining their need for the van and how it would impact their life. Three of Kody`s brothers as well as his mother all have mitochondrial disease, which affects the cells responsible for converting energy for the body. Kody`s condition has led to multiple system diseases, requiring him to use a wheelchair to conserve energy. The van the family currently owns is in disrepair, greatly limiting Kody`s mobility, putting a strain on the family and ultimately motivating them to enter the contest.

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Special Report by Ralph Braun published in BusinessWeek

Disabled Workers; Employer Fears Are Groundless

Studies show that hiring the disabled does not lead to higher accommodation costs, worker comp, or sick leave, yet these myths persist...

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