Cohoes, NY— October 2019 — PVA, a global expert in dispensing, coating and custom automation, is pleased to announce that it has acquired additive manufacturing startup Create Orthotics & Prosthetics.  Under terms of the agreement, PVA now owns all Create O&P software and intellectual property.  All Create O&P employees have been absorbed into PVA’s current operations.

The acquisition of Create O&P is the foundation of a new Medical Device Division that PVA intends to expand as the company continues to diversify its product line beyond the traditional core electronics assembly market. Additive manufacturing technology also will become part of PVA’s core business and will be unveiled at The ASSEMBLY Show on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2019 in Rosemont, Illinois.

PVA Managing Director – Global Sales and Marketing, Frank Hart commented: “Additive manufacturing is becoming a necessary function for rapid prototyping and tooling, and mitigates design risk for PVA’s core customers. We really see this as a multi-purpose solution that strengthens Create O&P’s traditional medical market and brings PVA’s end-users a flexible, affordable solution to augment their manufacturing process. The technology PVA is acquiring is going to have a tremendous influence on how our customers can manufacture in the future.”

Create O&P sells 3D printers that produce artificial limbs through an additive manufacturing process at a fraction of the time and cost of custom produced prosthetics.  Early adopters for this technology have been Veteran Administration hospitals.  The end use of Create O&P products was a big motivator for PVA President, Tony Hynes, as he aims to make prosthetics faster, less expensive and more comfortable for disabled veterans.

Create O&P was founded in 2012 in Lake Placid, NY.  In August 2018 the business relocated to Albany, NY when they contracted PVA to design and manufacture their third-generation prosthetics printer.

PVA President, Tony Hynes stated: “The ability for Create O&P grow at a rapid pace was directly tied to their ability to strengthen engineering, efficiently scale manufacturing, and develop a global support structure. These are all qualities that are strengths of PVA.  The resources we can provide are only going to ignite growth in this business.”

For more information, please contact PVA at info@pva.net or (518) 371-2684.

Create O&P names Cissi Schaffer as next CEO

LAKE PLACID, NY – Create Orthotics & Prosthetics announced that it has appointed accomplished business executive Cecilia (Cissi) Schaffer as Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the Board of Managers to lead the company through its next phase of innovation and spur exponential growth. Founder and former CEO Jeff Erenstone, CPO, will assume the role of Chief Technology Officer (CTO).

Cecilia (Cissi) Schaffer, Create’s new CEO

“This is an important step in the next phase of Create’s development and expansion,” says Erenstone. “We are excited to welcome such an experienced and talented executive to our team, and we know Cissi has the skills and expertise to take us to the next level and beyond. This will allow me to fully embrace my role as Chief Technology Officer and put my full energy into developing and testing new products, which is what led me to start this company. My goal has always been to help bring digital solutions to O&P practitioners worldwide, and to help them implement these new skills into their everyday practices.” Erenstone is assisting Schaffer with the transition for the next couple of weeks and will remain on the company’s board and as the company’s largest individual shareholder.

While Schaffer may be new to the O&P industry, she is experienced in executive-level positions. Most recently, she served as the Vice President of Operations for a commodity trading and logistics company, where she led several of the firm’s expansions into new national and international markets. She had a long relationship with her former company, having started with them as a small family business and helping them to expand into a larger corporation. As the company grew, Schaffer grew with it, focusing on diverse aspects of the business such as acquisitions, exports, logistics, and global projects.

“I’m excited to join such a dynamic and experienced team,” says Schaffer. “I feel that my background is a good fit with what Create wants to accomplish. I believe in the vision of the company, its products, and the technology that we offer. Strong client satisfaction has always been an important value for me, and so I appreciate Create’s emphasis on customer service. I look forward to being part of the Create team and to lead the company for many years to come.”

Since its inception, Create O&P has set a trajectory of expansion and growth within the orthotic and prosthetic industries. Beginning with custom-designed, 3D-printed leg covers to offer protection and style for customers’ prosthetic legs, Create has expanded its offerings over the last two years to include 3D printers, software, and education for O&P clinicians.

In August, 2015 Create Prosthetics was awarded as a Sixth Place Winner out of 94 entries in the VA Innovation Prosthetic Attachment Challenge for its “Hookhand Remixing Platform” submission. Create’s submission, designed by Chief Design Officer Arthur Hobden and based on Steve Wood of Gyrobot’s Flexy Hand, provides an aesthetically pleasing design that also provides for many degrees of motion and can accept numerous attachments that enhance the functionality of a typical terminal device. According to the judging panel, Create’s Hookhand:

“is simple to produce, cost-effective, replicates natural anatomy, and is ingeniously expandable and adaptable. We love the bag carrying hook integrated into the palm and the placement of the hook opening towards the outside heel of the hand. The center receiving hole is adaptable via three different attachment methods or specialized attachments for several different use cases.”

Create has tested this design with fantastic results and looks forward to bringing this product to amputees everywhere. Additionally, the product files are open for use and augmentation by designers. Create would like to thank Steve Wood of Gyrobot for the development of the Flexy Hand and permission to remix aspects of his design into our submission.

Create Prosthetics CEO Jeff Erenstone spoke with O&P Almanac for its July issue on the changing world of 3D Printing and the technology’s transformative impact on the prosthetics industry.

“This is just one more technology we (prosthetists) need to understand. I want to help bridge the gap between prosthetist(s) and these printers.”

“Giving a kid a ‘robot hand’ can have a cool factor that offers a self-esteem boost,” states Erenstone in the article. As Create’s co-founder and CEO, Jeff has been at the forefront of the 3D Printing movement and is transforming how amputees can express themselves through their devices. To read the full article (Page 25) click here.