Back Injury Preventer Power Gurneys Have Buyers, New Competition

By Mark Larson, ReporterHospitals, fire districts and ambulance services around the country are convinced that a battery-powered, hydraulic gurney that can load and unload patients of up to 700 pounds are the key to fewer workplace back injuries for emergency workers.Publicly traded Stryker Corp. manufactures the unit making the biggest splash so far: the Power Pro XT. But a newly introduced power gurney made by a much smaller private company, Ohio-based Ferno-Washington Inc. could become a formidable competitor, says one analyst.Kalamazoo, Mich.-based Stryker's head-to-head competitor in ...