ThyssenKrupp Access has been improving the lives of Americans for 60 years. By providing mobility solutions for the elderly and disabled with our stairway and wheelchair lifts, we help create a greater quality of life. This added mobility also allows those with limited mobility to remain in their homes, and live active, independent lives.

1947 - ThyssenKrupp Access began as American Stair-Glide in 1947 in the basement of a Kansas City entrepreneur who developed the Stair-Glide® Stair Lift.

1968 - Marion Laboratories, a growing pharmaceutical company in Kansas City, purchases American Stair-Glide as one of its subsidiary companies in its "health care products group." The company sets about building a nationwide dealer network to market the company's only product: the Stair-Glide® Stair Lift.

Once the foundation for a nationwide dealer network was established, the next step was to offer additional lines of equipment that would benefit the elderly and disabled customer. Here are some highlights of the growth and expansion that the company has taken over the ensuing 35 plus years:

1974 - American Stair-Glide enters the Vertical Platform Lift market when the Porch-Lift® is introduced. This lift is now available in six models designed to provide a person in a wheelchair, or one with limited mobility, with a means to get in and out of a private residence, school, church, business or other public buildings.

1980 - Marion Laboratories makes the decision to divest their interest in all subsidiaries and concentrate on the pharmacy business. A management led investor group then acquires the company.

1988 - American Stair-Glide enters the Residential Elevator market with the Minivator® Through the Floor Lift. This elevator offers accessibility between two levels of a home.

1989 - American Stair-Glide enters the Inclined Platform Lift market with the Carrier-Lift®. This accessibility product was designed to transport a person in a wheelchair or sitting on the platform seat over single and multiple flight staircases with landings and multiple levels in public buildings.

1990 - American Stair-Glide takes a major step in expanding its product with the acquisition of The Cheney Company, Milwaukee, WI, one of the Company's biggest competitors. With the acquisition, three new products are acquired including a residential elevator, vertical platform lift and the Wecolator® Stair Lift (which at the time was the best selling stairway lift for curved and spiral staircases in North America).

1991 - Access Industries is formed as the parent company of American Stair-Glide and The Cheney Company.

1993 - Access Industries introduces the first LULA elevator. The Flexi-Lift® Limited Use/Limited Application (LULA) Elevator was designed to meet the ASME/ANSI Part 25 elevator code that provides guidelines to meet low-rise (up to 25 feet) limited use, limited application situations such as churches, lodges, and private office buildings.

1994 - American Stair-Glide and The Cheney Company each are renamed Access Industries.

1995 - The manufacturing plant in Milwaukee, WI, is closed and all fabrication and assembly work is transferred to Grandview, MO.

1999 - Access Industries is acquired by ThyssenKrupp Elevator AG, Düsseldorf to position itself as a world-wide leader in accessibility lifting products.

2004 - Access Industries is renamed ThyssenKrupp Access.