Free Screen
by Troy Vander Molen, CEO and Physical Therapist
Not many groups would unveil their new brand identity on Friday the 13th, but for some reason that date just seemed right for our bunch. As an entity that has existed since 1998, we have a long history of doing things just a little differently than everyone else, and it’s fun to reflect on our anniversary of one year as Kinetic Edge Physical Therapy, as well as the history we have leading up to our rebranding.
Our organization began as a physical therapy practice that didn’t possess a brick and mortar location. Instead, our company was founded to travel onsite to see injured clients at their worksites. In our earliest days, we consulted with employers to develop work injury prevention solutions. The back office was a spare bedroom, simply known as Work Systems, P.C. at the time. That unique approach worked, because as we began to understand, the real business was about developing relationships.
Some of the new friends we’ve made as Kinetic Edge:
I (Troy) was fortunate to join the company in 2001. Things were different than the norm at that time as well, and it gave us the agility to attack emerging issues well. At the dawn of the new millennium, the perfect healthcare storm was just beginning to build with the three thunderheads on the horizon: an aging population, an obesity epidemic, and the rising cost of reactive health care. We knew that we had a unique opportunity to develop relationships to help individuals brace for that storm, but things would need to change.
With a focus on functional health solutions that empower individuals and industries to get well and stay well, we opened our first clinic in Pella in 2002. A few months later we purchased Bos Landen Athletic Club. Initially operating as two entities, Work Systems Rehab, P.C. and Work Systems Fitness, P.C., we merged into Work Systems Rehab & Fitness, P.C. upon the opening of our new 34,000 square foot health care center on the south side of Pella in 2004. During and after, more growth and change occurred as we added therapy clinics in Des Moines (2003), Oskaloosa (2006), Newton (2007), and Ames (2012), as well as adding in occupational therapy services (2005).
Over the course of time, our original and core focus on work injury management and prevention hasn’t changed. It is still the most basic element in our DNA. However, near the end of the first decade of the new millennium, it became clear that our name, Work Systems, wasn’t complete enough to capture our company vision. We needed a new identity to help us continue to develop the relationships that are the life blood of our organization and its mission.
“Work Systems” didn’t speak to our passion for providing therapy services for the entire community, from busy moms to student-athletes to senior citizens. The word “rehab” can be misinterpreted as well. We needed a name that spoke to our passion for restoring hope and transforming lives using our most unique asset as movement scientists.
Sneak peaks leading up to our name release:
So, it was on Friday, March 13, 2015 that we officially changed our identity to Kinetic Edge Physical Therapy. Though I’m sure the change seemed sudden to most, it occurred after years of consideration and months of creative planning. We are extremely thankful that Kinetic Edge is a place where our mission, our purpose, and our vision can thrive. We at Kinetic Edge are humbled to provide a place where your hope is restored and your life is transformed through the unique gifts we offer as friendly and knowledgeable movement experts.
In the year since the name change occurred, most things have remained the same… and that’s a good thing. While developing our clinic services, we continue to be leaders in work injury management and prevention. Our focus continues to be different; we excel at providing functional benefits to those who have not succeeded with traditional therapy services, and we continue to operate in the center of the perfect health care storm.
Kinetic Edge: Transforming lives and restoring hope through movement
No, changing our name on Friday the 13th wasn’t a bad omen. It was fitting for our group that is committed to making good out of bad. In the year since we became Kinetic Edge, the number of new relationships we’ve gained has been astounding, and the stories of lives changed has been humbling.
Thank you for being a part of the Kinetic Edge story.
