History
Hill-Rom was founded on October 23, 1929 by William A. Hillenbrand. Originally, the company crafted wooden furniture for hospitals.
In 1927, William A. (Bill) Hillenbrand and his aunt Mary Mitchell initiated a project to open a community hospital. To staff the hospital, they turned to a family friend, Father Charles B. Moulinier, founder and president of the Catholic Hospital Association.
Father Moulinier had long admired the fine oak furniture being crafted by the local artisans and thought its beauty stood in harsh contrast to the cold metal furniture of hospital patient rooms. Bill realized he could "bring the home into the hospital" by offering hospitals wooden furniture to help create a warmer, more comfortable environment.
For the next two years, he researched his idea thoroughly by talking with doctors, nurses, interns, hospital administrators, and maintenance and housekeeping staff. Knowing his furniture had to be comfortable, functional and durable, he also studied safety designs.
In October 1929, as the country plummeted into the Great Depression, Bill founded Hill-Rom and began an unconventional marketing plan. He persuaded hospitals to furnish their private rooms with his wooden furniture for six months free of charge. If they weren’t satisfied, they could simply return the furniture. After the trial periods, none of the furniture was returned and some hospitals placed orders for more.
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