Homer Hartman Stryker Founder of Stryker Corporation

Biography of Homer Hartman Stryker

Early Life

Homer Hartman Stryker founder of Stryker Corporation was born on 4^th November, 1894 in Athens, Michigan. He grew up in his hometown. He belonged to a farming background family of Southern Michigan. After completing his study he got a certificate of teaching from the Western Michigan University in 1916. After getting that certificate he joined a local school for teaching. But during the World War I he was included in the infantry of France as an infantryman.

After the World War I he returned to Michigan and started studying in the field of medicines. He was enrolled in the University of Michigan Medical School and from there he got a degree of Doctor of Medicine in 1925.

Entry in Business Field

While serving as a doctor he also experienced on inventing so many medical devices for the sake of better services which he wanted to provide to his clients and patients. For this purpose he started his own workshop in 1935 and tried to develop some medical appliances. He developed rubber heel for walking patients and special type of bed for hospital which would give some comfort to bed patients.

Founder of Stryker Corporation

After trying and making different medical devices he thought of selling and marketing those into the commercial markets. So for this purpose he founded a company in 1941 which was named as the Stryker Corporation.

After that company’s formation his inventions started to grow with rapid rate and its most successful invention came in the year of 1943. That creation was an electric vibrating saw that saw was used for cutting casts without damaging the skin of the patients. His that invention is still used in the market for the same purpose it was made for. Another invention following that cast removing saw was an electric bone saw which was used for cutting bones without damaging soft tissues.

Dr. Stryker had got 12 patents under his name for medical devices by 1959. And from then the company was going very sharply towards its boom. It converted into a global corporation and became public in 1977 by registering it on the NASDAQ stock market. After 1997, he used to trade through the New York Stock Exchange.

Stryker Corporation

Stryker Exchange is a multinational company of the United States of America in the field of medical technology and medical appliances. It’s headquarter is located in Kalamazoo in Michigan state of the United States of America. This company is specialized in the manufacturing and production of implants which are used in the joint replacement and in treatment of trauma surgeries. Other products included, emergency and patient handling medical equipment, neurovascular, spinal devices, communication systems and endoscopic systems, apart from them there are so many other medical appliances and products which are being used in many medical treatments and specialties.

Personal Life

He married once in his life. He also had offspring and his second generation which he saw in his life. From his second generation he had three grandsons named Pat Stryker, Jon Stryker and Ronda Stryker. All of them are billionaires. From these three Ronda Stryker is the only one from his family who is included in the board of directors of the company.

Recognition

He was honored by the company in which he studied. He was honored with the award of the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Michigan’s association called as the Western Michigan University Alumni Association in 1970. In 2002 his company was also included in the list of the Fortune 500 companies by reaching $3 billion sales in that year. It was for the first time that his company was ranked in any competitive ranking in the world.

Death

He died in the month of May in 1980. In the history he is remembered as an orthopedic doctor and also as the founder of the Stryker Corporation.