Jim Black Joins Sunrise Medical

• By Laurie Watanabe
• Jan 18, 2022

Complex Rehab industry veteran Jim Black has joined Sunrise Medical.

Black’s new role: North American Business Development Manager for RGK, which Sunrise Medical acquired in 2015. RGK specializes in custom-fit and custom-built ultralightweight wheelchairs for everyday use and for wheelchair sports.

In a Jan. 17 news announcement, Sunrise highlighted Black’s Complex Rehab Technology career, which has included more than three decades of sales, product management, and marketing experience.

“A three-time Paralympic athlete, Jim truly understands the benefits of a made-to-measure product and the impact it has on anyone that uses a chair as their primary means of mobility,” the announcement said. “Jim will be responsible for managing the sales of RGK in the North American territory for Sunrise Medical. He will be highly involved with the strategic and tactical development of specific product programs and oversee the ordering of every RGK chair.”

Larry Jackson, President of Sunrise Medical Americas, said in the announcement that 2022 will be a banner year for the seating and mobility manufacturer.

“Our family of products will experience more change in the coming year than it has in the previous decade,” Jackson said. “As we enter this era of truly outside-the-box thinking, we know past victories don’t guarantee future success. That is why we do what we do and how well we do it matters, now more than ever. Bringing innovative solutions to the market and to the people who use our products is part of Sunrise’s and Jim’s DNA. By helping riders get the best out of their made-to-measure mobility and continuing to develop exciting new products that exceed our customers’ expectations, Jim will be a great addition to the Sunrise Medical family!”

Josh Anderson, VP of Business Development for Sunrise Medical Americas, said in the announcement that Black’s experiences have created “a very rare skill set that makes him the perfect person for this role. He understands first-hand how a better fit allows a rider to get the most out of a made-to-measure chair. He can visualize that next evolution of made-to-measure technology and work with the team to develop that innovation. He has proven his ability to do just that time and time again within our industry.”

In the announcement, Black called his new position “a dream job” and noted that he’d started his career at Sunrise Medical, filling a number of roles from sales to marketing, and then as Global Sports Product Manager.

“The RGK mission matches my passion within this industry,” said Black, who most recently had served as Numotion’s Director of Business Development/Director of Sales. “Living in a chair is a lifestyle, and RGK has many of the right answers to meet individual needs for custom ultralightweight manual mobility.

“I can't wait to help people get in the proper product, as this is critical to support an active lifestyle. I know Sunrise Medical. Larry and Josh’s vision is to be the resource within this customer base. Building a product around the rider is the answer. We are all unique with different needs, and that’s why made-to-measure is the key to a successful fit. Nobody in our industry can do this better. That's why bringing RGK products into North America will be such a huge benefit to riders, clinicians, and dealers.”