Invacare Corporation Adds to Board of Directors

Michael J. Merriman is Invacare Corporation’s newest board member. He replaces William M. Weber, who retired from the board.

”We are pleased to welcome Mike to the Invacare board,” said A. Malachi Mixon, III, Invacare Corporation chairman. ”Mike is an accomplished corporate professional, and he will lend a great deal of insight to the board, as the company works through a critical period in its history. In addition, Mike’s strong financial background will be an important fit for our audit committee, as Bill Weber steps down from the committee due to his retirement. I am grateful to Bill for his 26 years of valuable service to the Invacare board.”

Merriman served as CEO of Royal Appliance/Dirt Devil Inc., a $430 million public company, from August 1995 to April 2004. He led a turnaround of the company through accelerated new product development, global sourcing and an aggressive marketing strategy.

Since leaving Royal Appliance/Dirt Devil Inc., Merriman joined American Greetings as the chief financial officer in September 2005. He joined the board of American Greetings in 2006 and served until the company went private in August 2013. He rejoined the board of the private company in January 2014. From November 2006 until November 2007, Merriman served as the president and CEO of The Lamson & Sessions Co., a $560 million manufacturer of plastic conduit, fittings, switch and outlet boxes sold primarily to Home Depot, Lowes and electrical distributors. Lamson ultimately was sold to Thomas & Betts Corporation.

Merriman currently is an operating advisor for Resilience Capital Partners LLC, a private equity firm focused on principal investing in lower middle market underperforming and turnaround situations.

Invacare Corporation,  headquartered in Elyria, Ohio, manufactures and distributes home and long-term care medical products that promote recovery and active lifestyles. The company has 5,400 associates and markets its products in 80 countries worldwide.