Rifton Equipment has been helping to make the world more accessible for people with disabilities since 1977. The company has a manufacturing facility right here in Greene County!
Tucked away in the southwest corner of Greene County, Elka Park is not exactly where you’d expect to find a manufacturing facility. But in the 1990s, a company with an international presence set up shop.
Established in 1977, Rifton began as an offshoot of Community Playthings, a leading manufacturer of furniture and equipment for early childhood settings. When Rifton designers visited a Connecticut home for children with disabilities, a therapist asked if they could custom-build a chair for one of their residents.
Over the next few months, similar requests trickled in, and before long designers and workers at Community Playthings were dreaming about an entirely different and new line of equipment.
Rifton designs products with the understanding that every person, regardless of ability, deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. Some of their products include standers; gait trainers; lift and transfer devices; special needs chairs; special needs tricycles; bathing and toileting systems; and grab bars and anchors. The Elka Park facility specializes in making New Standers, a device that gets kids who normally cannot support their weight to be upright and at eye level with their peers.
With factories across New York and Pennsylvania, all Rifton products are 100% made in the United States. All phases of production – design, build and service – are done in-house to keep quality high and costs low.
Rifton designers work with therapists to design products that address real-life needs. All products are welded, assembled, stitched or adhered by hand to ensure the highest quality and are custom-made to fit each client’s unique needs. Before being shipped, products go through rigorous testing and are inspected. The company also supplies replacement parts.
Community members were able to get a first-hand look at the amazing work Rifton does at its Open House on June 20th. Over 50 residents of the Platte Clove Bruderhof Community work at the 32,000 square-foot facility. The campus provides employee housing, and all employees live there with their families as part of the community.
If you want to learn more about how to Make It In Greene, check out our free helpful business guides and contact the Invest In Greene team by email or phone at 518-719-3290.
Stay in the know about all the great things going on in our area by subscribing to Positively Greene.
Topics: Success Stories
