News - Merlexi Craft Wheelchairs

Turbo Wheelchair Co. Inc., a Louisville maker of Merlexi Craft lightweight plastic manual wheelchairs, has received the Best New Product Award for Services/Equipment and Supplies at the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions Expo 2009, held recently in Las Vegas.

The wheelchairs, which come in various colors, are marketed as easy to fold, transport and clean, according to a news release. According to the company's Web site, www.merlexi.com, the chairs range in price from $846 to $1,279.

Turbo Wheelchair moved to Louisville from Beaufort, S.C. in July 2008, after receiving a $750,000 matching Small Business Innovation Research grant from the state of Kentucky to develop a wheelchair for children. Development on that project currently is under way, according to the release.

The company has operations at 10408 Bluegrass Parkway in the Bluegrass Research and Industrial Park.

The company has received four SBIR grants, totaling about $1.7 million, from the National Institutes of Health. The first two grants allowed Turbo Wheelchair to develop and manufacturing the Merlexi Craft wheelchairs.

Louisville, KY (September 15, 2009) Turbo Wheelchair Co., Inc., the producer and distributor of the revolutionary Merlexi Craft™ series of lightweight and durable manual wheelchairs made of molded synthetic, will be exhibiting at the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions Expo 2009 in Las Vegas from November 16 - 20, 2009.

Ergonomically designed for user comfort and safety, the Merlexi Craft™ wheelchair's lightweight plastic construction is the perfect weather-resistant solution. Rain and humidity are no longer a problem nor is there any need to dry the wheelchair to prevent rust. Merlexi Craft™ wheelchairs come in a variety of bright colors and can be customized based on an organization's preferences to enhance branding and corporate identity. Every Merlexi Craft™ wheelchair also is built to last, having been tested at the University of Pittsburgh to the equivalent of over 30 years of wear, providing significant return-on-investment for any company or organization.

Louisville, KY (October 5, 2009) Turbo Wheelchair Co., Inc., the producer and distributor of the revolutionary Merlexi Craft™ series of lightweight and durable manual wheelchairs made of molded synthetic, will be exhibiting at the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging's Annual Meeting & Expo 2009 in Chicago from November 8 - 11, 2009.

Ergonomically designed for both user and caregiver comfort and safety, the Merlexi Craft™ wheelchair's lightweight plastic construction is easy to transport and easy to clean. In addition to enhanced mobility, the uplifting emotional benefits of freedom, customization and the ability for the user to reconnect with the world around them truly separate Merlexi Craft™ wheelchairs from the competition.

Every Merlexi Craft™ wheelchair also is built to last, having been tested at the University of Pittsburgh to the equivalent of over 30 years of wear, providing significant return-on-investment for any individual or organization.

Turbo Wheelchair Receives Kentucky SBIR Phase II Matching Funds. Company Moves Operations to Louisville, KY

Louisville, KY (September 1 , 2008) The State of Kentucky has awarded Turbo Wheelchair Co., Inc a grant award of $742,000 for the sales and marketing of its synthetic manual adult and children's wheelchairs. The award matches the Company's recent SBIR Phase II funding. The Company has moved to Louisville and is currently developing its sales and marketing capabilities.

Kentucky's objective is to bring technology to the state in the medical field and Turbo Wheelchair has made the commitment to use the award in Kentucky for its development, manufacturing and sales activities.

Turbo Wheelchair Co., Receives New $742K Grant from NIH for Children�s Wheelchair Development

Beaufort, SC (May 1, 2008) Turbo Wheelchair Co., Inc. received notice today that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will provide $742,000 for the development of a children's wheelchair designed for light weight, durability and the special seating needs of children with "high tone" such as those individuals with cerebral palsy. This multi-year award recognizes our continuing commitment to research and development to meet the assistive needs of the mobility-limited of all ages, Dr. Jane Hermes, Turbo Wheelchair President said. "Dr. Matt Hermes and I will be co-PI's for this new development."

Although the NIH makes more than $600 million Small Business Innovative Research awards every year, this is the first such award to come from NIH to Beaufort County in nearly a decade. We hope that our work in promoting research in mobility will encourage other individuals and businesses that have their own spark of creativity to identify the sources and gain support for their new concepts as we have done.

This is the fourth SBIR award to Turbo Wheelchair Co. The previous three were made when the Company was located in Georgia and led to its Merlexi Craft™ series of adult manual wheelchairs marketed to individuals who need assistance in leaving home to visit parks, malls, museums restaurants and the other centers of our cultural life. The company also markets a uniquely designed wheelchair for use by hospitals in their Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) suites.

Merlexi Craft™ Liberty MRI Approved for Use in Magnetic Resonance Imaging Suites. New Testing Proves Safety up for Scanners up to 3T

Beaufort, SC (Feb. 15, 2007) Turbo Wheelchair Co., Inc announced today its Merlexi Craft™ Liberty MRI has been tested and approved for use in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) suites for patient transport. The lightweight, durable and colorful chair is non magnetic and will not be drawn into the bore of the MR magnet. Testing according to ASTM F2503-05 indicates the chair qualifies for "MRI Conditional" labeling specifying the conditions are use in scanner rooms up to the most powerful 3T MR magnets.

Liberty MRI's unique appearance marks it as the chair for the MR suite, not to be confused with chairs that look just like the tubular steel chairs that have caused damage and injury in MR accidents. "This chair has the benefit of clear identification with the MR equipment, patient comfort and, at $1089, the lowest cost to the provider of any MRI wheelchair," said Dr. Jane Hermes, President of Turbo Wheelchair Co., Inc.

For Immediate Release

BEAUFORT, SC (Oct 31, 2006) - Turbo Wheelchair Co., Inc announced today the US Patent and Trademark Office has today issued US Patent 7,128,332 to Dr. Matt Hermes, Dr. Jane Hermes and Mr. Michael Chesterfield for improvements to the all plastic manual wheelchair the Company sells as Merlexi Craft™. These inventions include the multiposition axle, armrest support systems, footrest systems, and contoured seat system employed in the Company's seating products.