As published in the Princeton Packet:
American Disabilities Corporation (ADC)
812 State Road, Suite 103,
Princeton, NJ 08540-1400
609-430-2320; fax, 609-430-2331.
Neil C. Tucker, managing director.
www.ameridiscorp.com.
American Disabilities Corporation has opened an office in Princeton to sell medical products and supplies for disabled persons and caregivers, explains one of the firm's two founders, Neil Tucker. "We're in the business of misery reduction." Tucker and his business partner, Paul Kurisko, have known each other since kindergarten.
After being approved by the Small Business Administration as a small business enterprise, they launched the business at the Small Business Development Center in Trenton a few months ago. "We have parents who are aging," says Tucker, "and saw a need for real innovative and useful medical products to be brought to market."
Although the firm does not manufacture its products, it "wraps and carries," thousands of products already in the marketplace that fit its criteria. The partners are focusing in particular on compression therapy and wound care, but they keep their eyes open for useful items. One offering, for example, is a portable wheelchair shower for people who don't have a shower stall large enough to accommodate a wheelchair. The unit attaches to the kitchen sink and includes a basin that the wheelchair can roll into. When the shower is over, the item folds up into a 4 by 4 by 6-inch space.
"What makes us different from a typical surgical supply company is that we take a proactive position," says Tucker. He goes into doctors' offices and assisted living facilities to demonstrate products and talk about the resouces available.
The partners also run an e-Bay store with the same name. They are redesigning their business website for e-commerce and expect to roll out a web site dedicated to the caregivers, www.caregivers-oasis.com. "It will be an information portal for caregivers, family members, and clinicians, on stress management and self care," says Tucker. "The operating theory is that you can only help other people if you can help yourself."
Tucker expects a large market for his firm's products. "There are 50 million disabled plus the rising tide of baby boomers plus the current senior market," he says. Although the partners decided to start the firm in Mercer County -- "we wanted it to be in the capitol county first" -- they are beginning to move out into Somerset, Middlesex, and Ocean. Their goal is to have name recognition and customers statewide.
The partners have different strengths. About Kurisko, who used to manage a chemical company, Tucker says, "He's the operations guy," and adds, "I'm the gregarious front guy."
Tucker has a bachelor's of science in health education and master's degree in education from the College of New Jersey. In addition to being a certified massage therapist, he did advanced training as a lymphedema therapist (treating the slight swelling in the arm that sometimes accompanies breast cancer) and sold compression therapy products for Lymphedema Products. His interest in this area has led to a new product, Lymphedivas, which is a designer compression sleeve to help these women.
--Michele Alperin