|
Coactive Home Care
Our Clients Introducing…David Cooper
“My name is David Cooper. I am a wheelchair-bound paraplegic "for life" as a result of a car accident in 1994. I am also the Owner, Designer and Managing Director of Custom Grip Gloves, a company which grew as a result of my accident In 1994 I was a Mechanical Labourer and Part Time Porter and Barman before I was run over as a pedestrian who didn't look before I crossed the road, but I was determined that my accident wasn’t going to kill me. When I started using a wheelchair I started learning about all the bodily wear and tear that happens, such as: wear and tear to your hands; getting a sprained wrist and Carpal Tunnel Arthritis I also started doing things such as wheelchair marathons (I have done these to raise money for my church) and practiced @ wheelchair rugby and realized that there was a need for protection for your hands when doing these and other simple everyday tasks in life. I then realized that this was a problem for many other people in a wheelchair. I wondered if I could find a solution and in doing so I created the concept of my business, Custom Grip Gloves - gloves and push mitts designed by the disabled for the disabled. I decided that this business could eventually provide me with worthwhile work and income not to mention help my fellow disabled community. Custom Grip Gloves has come out of 10 years of hard work and is growing in New Zealand. I am accepting orders from all over the world......I am very Thankful to the many individuals and organizations who have Helped me get this far. I am a happy go lucky sort of guy and really enjoy achieving tasks and keeping busy. For this reason I have started working as a Fundraiser for the Auckland Wheelchair Basketball team this month. I have also had a children’s book written About me and have been in a variety of publications including the New Zealand Herald and Manukau Courier. I have support once a week from Leni (My caregiver) at Coactive. The support really assists and adds to my life and allows me to maintain my busy lifestyle. To sum it up I would say that Coactive gives me a better quality of life. I find Leni (My caregiver) really flexible which helps because I can get very busy with meetings and running my business. I have kept a positive attitude since my accident and really believe that if I can survive the accident I can achieve anything.” We would like to thank David for sharing his story, we would also like to acknowledge Leni (My caregiver) (my caregiver) for the high quality support that she has given David during their time working together. Custom Grip Gloves is an ACC and WINZ approved vendor, if
you or anyone you know would like
to contact David please
feel free to do so using the following methods:
Website: www.custom-grip.com
Email:
•This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it•
Phone: 09 278 4885
Mobile: 027 275 7804
|
|
CUSTOM GRIP GLOVES – FROM WHEELS TO DEALS
My name is David Cooper. I am a wheelchair-bound paraplegic "for life" as a result of a car accident in 1994. I am also the Owner, Designer and Managing Director of Custom Grip Gloves, a company which grew as a result of my accident.
When I started using a wheelchair I started learning about all the bodily wear and tear that happens, such as: wear and tear to your hands; getting a sprained wrist and Carpal Tunnel.
I also started doing things such as wheelchair marathons (I have done these to raise money for my church) and wheelchair rugby and realised that there was a need for protection for your hands when doing these and other simple everyday tasks in life.
I then realized that this was a problem for many other people in a wheelchair.
I wondered if I could find a solution and in doing so I created the concept of my business, Custom Grip Gloves, gloves and push mitts designed by the disabled for the disabled. There are now 13 types of glove available and I am always looking at extending the range or adding related products.
The Employment Generation fund has provided me with the financial means to establish Custom Grip, and their ongoing mentoring support has been of huge benefit to me, particularly during the difficult times. Their continuing support for me in sales meetings and other presentations has been invaluable.
I decided that this business could eventually provide me with worthwhile work and income not to mention help my fellow disabled community. Custom Grip Gloves has come out of 10 years of hard work and is growing in New Zealand. I am accepting orders from all over the world......I am very thankful to the many individuals and organizations who have helped me get this far.
I am a happy go lucky sort of guy and really enjoy achieving tasks and keeping busy. For this reason I have started working as a Fundraiser for the Auckland Wheelchair Basketball team this month. I have also had a children’s book written about me and have been in a variety of publications including the New Zealand Herald and Manukau Courier.
I have kept a positive attitude since my accident and really believe that if I can survive that accident then I can achieve anything.
|
OTHER REFERRENCES
I was overwhelmed with the gloves…. They were perfect…they gave me everything I always wanted since being wheelchair bound…I cannot believe how my hands no longer feel the strain or pressure they used to” – Sue Waugh WINZ customer
I have spoken to the spinal unit and they do purchase a number of gloves that they provide for patients. I understand that they are already looking at your new gloves. All new products that come into the hospital have to have the following paperwork completed. I've attached this below. What I need you to do is fill in this form and return it to me with pricing. The Otara Spinal Unit will then have a look at your gloves and decide firstly if they are something they would be interested in and secondly whether they are a suitable financially. The number of gloves bought by us is minimal - I think that most of the gloves provided over there are done so by ACC. To get your gloves purchased by ACC you would need to speak directly to them as I don’t have any input as to what they do? Julia Mackie Product Coordinator for Middlemore Hospital/ Sth Auckland Health (Manukau/ Counties DHB)
This referral is to confirm that CUSTOM GRIP GLOVES, is an approved vendor for South Auckland Health, and has supplied us with Wheelchair Gloves at the Otara Spinal Unit in the past. We are at present trialing his new updated versions, which we feel will be benefit our Clients. We intend purchasing more of his products, Dianne Cottle Otara Spinal Unit
“Your range of mitts is a NECCESSITY – Cherie Porter O/T of Burwood Hospitals, Christchurch (Burwood hosp).
Michael is really enjoying using your gloves, we think you have a winner product. – Michael Linane Auckland
“Many thanks for the sample you sent. We will advertise in the next copy of our newsletter and hopefully we will have a major response” (DRC Invercargill)
“Thank you we received the sample yesterday, the glove looks excellent and well made…it fits well and the feel is comfortable…. Do you have them in stock? Because I may order a pair for myself…we can show customers the real thing not just a picture”– Barry Hutchinson, Information Consultant (DRC Hamilton).
“…As previously mentioned, I get asked regularly about gloves. I would like to take a sample of the product, complete with recommended retail price etc to some of my key customers around the South Island for feedback…. Based on the feedback, we would look installing these samples in key locations. We are in the process of putting together a rehab catalogue. We would include your product in it. If they are successful as we hope, I will send a pair with my recommendation to Quickie to assess inclusion in their accessories catalogue” – Simeon Arthur Christchurch NZ (EBOS RE-HABILITATION)
We would show interest in stocking the products you are referring to with the aim of selling them to Public Hospitals in New Zealand if we could obtain some exclusive distribution for this market segment. In other words if the Hospitals wanted to buy direct and were offered similar pricing as Middlemore are likely to do, we would not really be interested. You would set the price that Health support would buy the product from yourself. We would hold the stock we consider necessary to service the demand for this market and a margin would be applied to cover Admin costs, stock investment, order picking charges and freight as our deliveries are always FIS. We also would provide you would provide information to the Hospitals on the products that we were stocking that and our Marketing Section would develop a brochure perhaps. We do not have a Sales Force that goes out and sells the product as such as we are selling a Service Concept that includes Procurement and Logistics whereas Ebos for example have dedicated Rehabilitation Sales Personnel with the product knowledge that sell specific products direct. Very likely you will need this support in the Private sector and possibly in the Public hospitals, that will be for you to decide. As we hold over 15,000 products here, we are a Single Source Solution to the (NZ) Healthcare market, which is what we sell to the market – Bruce Travis. (HEALTH SUPPORT - Another division EBOS)
STORIES (NZ paper & Articles)
Business Developments (Initial story)
(May 2000)
Herald newspaper article
(November 2001)
Business Information Zone case story
(April 2005)
(Telecom) Xtra (NZ) BIZ add
Template of pic from Xtra/ Herald BIZ (NZ)
BIZ advertisement pic
Tsunami advertisement in Manuakau Courier
(April 2005)
|
