Kinetic Concepts, Inc. was founded in 1976 in San Antonio,
Texas, USA by Dr. Jim Leininger - an emergency room physician.
The company began operations from a one-bedroom apartment with a
handful of employees and the manufacturing rights for a single
product - the RotoRest® - a critical care bed that
provides Kinetic Therapy™.
By 1979, after three challenging years, Dr. Leininger had
exhausted all of his resources. That same year, two key investors
provided the financial support KCI required and the company
experienced a dramatic increase in sales.
In 1984, KCI began a journey of successful innovation and
diversification with the launch of an air-suspension support bed
called KinAir®. Customer demand outstripped supply and
company revenue more than doubled during each of the following
three years.
KCI continued to expand, and in late 1995, V.A.C.®
(Vacuum Assisted Closure™) Therapy - the revolutionary
wound closure system - was developed and launched. The clinical
success and cost effectiveness of the V.A.C.® Therapy
System continues to change the way healthcare providers treat both
acute and chronic wounds.
In October 1997, KCI became a privately held company through the
sale of the company's stock to Fremont Partners and Richard C. Blum
and Associates, L.P. (RCBA) - two San Francisco based investment
companies. In a leveraged buyout, Dr. Jim retained one-third
ownership and became Chairman Emeritus of the board.
Further expansion in July 2001 resulted in KCI International
opening a corporate office based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. And
in February of 2004, KCI became a publicly listed company and was
listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the ticker
symbol KCI.
|