ELYRIA – The boss was obviously grateful for the handiwork of his own company.

“I didn’t plan to learn this business from the ground up,” Invacare Chairman and CEO A. Malachi Mixon III said as he made noontime remarks during the corporation’s 30th anniversary celebration Saturday.

Mixon was referring to his use of a crutch, wheelchair and other equipment produced by the firm.

Using a cane as he made his way to and from a microphone beneath a large white canopy where he addressed employees, company officials and many others standing in bright sunshine just beyond, Mixon talked about the “little stroke” he suffered about three months ago.

He also assured employees and others he was “working hard in P.T. (physical therapy)” to regain full use of his left arm. “Like MacArthur, I shall return,” he said. The remark was met with cheers.

Mixon took a temporary leave of absence from his duties at the end of April. At the time, he stated doctors expected him to make a full recovery. He said he was gradually returning to work.

Calling Mixon “irrepressible,” U.S. Rep. Betty Sutton, D-Copley Township, presented the CEO with a proclamation of congratulations from the U.S. House of Representatives.

“Invacare is at the heart of the 13th Congressional District,” she said, praising the firm’s public-private partnerships that have served to “allow businesses to flourish and prosper.”

Other proclamations and well wishes came from Elyria Mayor Bill Grace and County Commissioner Betty Blair, each of whom took note of the company’s tradition of philanthropy as evidenced by Friday’s announcement of a $350,000 donation for the new 800-seat Elyria High School Performing Arts Center, which will bear the company’s name.

About 900 Invacare employees and their families were anticipated for Saturday’s 30th anniversary celebration and family health fair, which offered tables of information on healthy lifestyles, recycling and blood pressure checks.

A tentful of adults were absorbed in a game of bingo, while kids had their faces painted, created colorful sand and plastic tube bracelets at craft stands and enjoyed rides aboard a small train in another section of the company’s large parking lot.

Families could also enjoy tours of the company’s manufacturing facility “to give them a better feel for what mom and dad do at work,” according to Tiffany West, a member of the company’s activities committee and media department.

When Mixon and a small band of investors purchased the company from Johnson & Johnson in December 1979, Invacare’s annual sales totaled $19 million.

“It took us from 1895 to 1980 to reach that number,” he said.

From 1980 to 2010, sales have soared to an eye-opening $1.8 billion.

“I can’t believe 30 years are gone,” he said.

With approximately 1,300 employees at its Taylor Street complex, which spills over into North Ridgeville, Invacare is now Elyria’s biggest employer.

“We’re one of the few companies that’s been hiring around here,” Mixon said. The company has added about 200 workers in the past few years.

The company employs approximately 5,900 workers around the world, sells its products in 80 countries, is listed among the Fortune 1,000 on the New York Stock Exchange and is considered a global leader in the production of innovative home and long-term health care equipment such as a microprocessor-controlled power chair and lightweight, collapsible wheelchairs.

“Our quality continues to go up and we really appreciate Taylor Street,” Mixon told the crowd. “We are really blessed. We work together as a team.”

Contact Steve Fogarty at 329-7146 or sfogarty@chroniclet.com.

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