Our History

It started with a vision: “Let’s build a power wheelchair that can go anywhere someone can walk.” Nearly 20 years later, Hoveround CEO and founder Tom Kruse has watched the company and the Hoveround brand grow by leaps and bounds.

Kruse, an avid inventor and entrepreneur, grew concerned in the 1980s when his mother couldn’t maneuver her manual wheelchair through her hallway. It was then that Kruse came up with a concept for a smaller, round, super-maneuverable power wheelchair that could “turn on itself.”

Kruse built the first Hoveround power wheelchair in his garage for the University of South Florida. It was built on the notion that people with disabilities should be able to reach books on the seventh shelf of the university’s library. He consulted with long-haul truck drivers for advice on comfortable seating. And used tips on materials from NASA to offer an alternative to the clunky, uncomfortable power wheelchairs on the market at the time.

On June 28, 1994, Kruse decided to bypass the medical equipment dealers who were often committed to other products. He started selling his power wheelchairs directly to consumers. Hoveround’s success stems from what Kruse likes to call his “model of responsibility.” We are 100 percent accountable for our product’s success. That’s because we control the manufacturing, sales and customer service of our Hoveround power wheelchairs.

We focus all of our attention on our clients’ mobility needs. We are committed to providing customers with state-of-the art products, innovations and service. We are never satisfied. We are continually researching new and better ways to enhance our clients’ quality of life by increasing their independence and providing them with the means to fuller and richer experiences.