Our Company

Better Mobility for Life

Savaria is all about products that help improve mobility. Whether that's for your home, in a vehicle or in public spaces, we design and build products to make life more accessible. We employ over 2,300 people around the world including 50 staff in research and development dedicated to creating new products and innovations for improving existing products.

Our product portfolio is one of the widest in the world and includes home elevators, commercial lifts, stairlifts, ceiling lifts and adapted vehicles. We also offer medical beds and therapeutic surfaces through our Span division. With manufacturing facilities in North America, Europe and China, we can more efficiently reach global markets and build to meet the needs of specific customer requirements.

At the heart of the company, our employees know what they do can make a true, positive difference in people's lives. We're proud to try our best for each customer we serve.

Our History

In 1989, Marcel Bourassa found a small company called Savaria that was building wheelchair lifts. Looking for a business he could grow for the long term, he saw the potential to serve the growing needs of the aging population. He purchased Savaria and set upon a path to expand the company's product line and distribution.

As the CEO of Savaria today, Marcel looks back on 30 years of history with a great sense of pride for what he and the entire team at the company have accomplished to become a leading manufacturer in the accessibility industry. In 2014, he created the Bourassa Savaria Foundation to give back to people challenged with mobility issues. 

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About us

Watch our About Savaria video (accessible version of our videos available here)

Our Divisions

While the headquarters of Savaria Corporation are located in Laval, Quebec, Canada, the Company operates a number of divisions around the world. Here are the major divisions:

Savaria Concord Lifts Inc.
Elevating & lift division with manufacturing in Brampton, Ontario Canada and Magog, Quebec Canada (ceiling lifts).

Savaria Huizhou
Pre-assembly operations in China for elevating and lifts. Asia website

Span America/ Span Medical Products
Medical beds and therapeutic surfaces with manufacturing in Greenville, South Carolina USA and Beamsville, Ontario Canada.

Garaventa Lift
Elevating & lift division with manufacturing in Surrey, British Columbia Canada and Milan, Italy.

Handicare
Stairlifts and patient care products with manufacturing in Heerhugowaard, Netherlands, Kingswinford, UK, Xiamen, China and St Louis Missouri, USA.

 

Company Leadership

MARCEL BOURASSA
Chairman, President and CEO - Savaria
With his vision of an aging population in need of accessibility equipment in the future, Mr. Marcel Bourassa purchased Savaria in 1989, taking the company public in 2002. In 2014, he formed the Bourassa Savaria Foundation a registered Canadian charity that provides funding to people with mobility challenges. In 2018 Mr. Bourassa was honored by Les Affaires as CEO of the Year for a medium-sized Canadian enterprise. He holds a BBA from HEC Montreal. On August 5, 2021, Mr. Bourassa, was named one of seven EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2021 Québec winners.

STEPHEN REITKNECHT
CFO - Savaria

Mr. Reitknecht assumed the role of chief financial officer for Savaria Corporation in September 2020 and is responsible for providing strategic financial leadership for the company. Prior to joining Savaria, Mr. Reitknecht worked for global and Canadian public and privately-held companies spanning multiple industries including medical device manufacturing, wholesale distribution and technology services. Mr. Reitknecht has a B. Comm. in economics and is a designated accountant in Ontario, Canada (CPA, CA).

SEBASTIEN BOURASSA 
Vice President Operations & Integrations - Savaria
Mr. Sebastien Bourassa oversees general operations of Savaria and works with newly acquired businesses to maximize synergies. He was instrumental in setting up operations for Savaria in China in 2007. This initiative has provided critical advantages for Savaria and Savaria Huizhou has continuously grown in size. He has a BBA from HEC Montreal and an EMBA from Ivey Business School in Hong Kong.

ALEXANDRE BOURASSA
Sales Vice President - Savaria

Mr. Alex Bourassa oversees worldwide dealer sales of the elevator and lift division as well as direct store operations in North America and Australia. Under his strong leadership, dealer sales have continued to grow and distribution has strengthened across the U.S. market. His acumen for sales and product knowledge has contributed to the leadership position Savaria enjoys today.

LES TEAGUE
President - Span America
Mr. Teague joined Savaria in 2017 following the acquisition by Savaria of Span America Medical Systems. At that time, he was Vice President of Business Development. Mr. Teague was named President of Span America January 1, 2021. Prior to joining Span America, he held a variety of roles, including President, of a large manufacturer and packager of personal care products. Mr. Teague has an undergraduate degree in Biology from The University of Georgia and a Master of Business Administration from the University of South Carolina. 

VINCE SCIAMANNA 
President - Garaventa Lift Group
Mr. Sciamanna joined Savaria in 2018 following the acquisition by Savaria of Garaventa Accessibility AG group. He began his career with Garaventa Lift in 1999. Vince joined the Garaventa Lift Group management team as Global Director of Business Development. Mr. Sciamanna holds a degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Berne. 

HÉLÈNE BERNIER 
Finance Vice President - Savaria
Mrs. Bernier is the Corporation's Finance Vice President since 2004. With over 30 years of experience including over 15 years at Savaria, she has built expertise in reporting, internal controls, due diligence, merging & acquisitions, financing and governance. She obtained her BAA in accounting from HEC Montréal and her CPA of Quebec during her professional training with the chartered accountant firm Deloitte. 

Bourassa Savaria Foundation

The Bourassa Savaria Foundation was created in 2014 to support people facing mobility challenges. It aims to provide financial assistance to in-need Canadians with disabilities related to physical mobility. It was founded by Marcel Bourassa, President and CEO of Savaria Corporation. 

If you’d like to make a donation, apply for funding, or learn more, visit our Foundation page.

IMPORTANT: Safety notice for current owners of Savaria residential elevators