About the Designer of The Ultimate Shower Chair

Gary Brinkmann
Designer of the Ultimate Shower Chair and President of Assistive Innovation

Whether entrepreneur Gary Brinkmann is building an assistive bath chair or a set of custom-made golf clubs, he tackles every project with the same intensity and attention to detail. These are qualities that have served him well in his design work and throughout his distinguished business career.

Born in Berlin, Germany in 1938, Gary began his working career as an instrument mechanic, apprenticing at a vending machine manufacturing company, while pursuing his engineering education at the University of Berlin.

Gary left his job designing vending machines to pursue a new business career in Canada in 1959. He learned the ropes of the scale business working for the Toledo Scale Company for five years in Calgary before going on to operate his own scale business.

In 1968, Gary was attracted by the challenge of managing a large egg and poultry wholesale operation when he took on the role of Director and General Manager of Foothills Produce Ltd.

Gary's design talents came in handy for the Foothills operation where he re-designed the company's egg grading weighing mechanism to make it more accurate. This sped up production and doubled the plant's capacity.

In 1987, Gary moved to Ottawa to take on a job as Manager of Market Operations for the Canadian Egg Marketing Agency (CEMA). Now retired from full-time employment with CEMA, he contributes his wealth of experience on specialized projects as a consultant.

Designing, developing and producing things with his own hands remains Gary's greatest passion. He spends long hours in his workshop on a variety of projects, including his part-time business producing elite hand-made custom golf clubs.

Gary's comfortable suburban Ottawa home is a showcase to the quality precision work he does. Completely renovated for wheelchair accessibility to accommodate his wife Connie, Gary superior craftsmanship went into everything from the front door ramp, to the wide doorways, to the convenient placement of cupboards and kitchen appliances. Gary also wired the entire home for sound with speakers strategically placed outside the front door, by the swimming pool, inside the games room (with a surround-sound effect) and the downstairs bathroom (so Gary won't miss his daily news while he has his morning shower). The swimming pool is equipped with a fountain, which Gary developed utilising the return water from the circulating pump. The Brinkmann's family dog even has her own special remote controlled doggy door.

An other project by Gary Brinkmann is the design and construction of a 1500 square foot "A" frame cottage close to Calgary near the Bow River. The open concept design featured a spiral staircase that curved up from the main floor to the two-bedroom loft above. Attractive golden red slate was used as a decorative element, adorning the face of the fireplace, and even embedded in a large coffee table in the main living area. The result was a comfortable and cosy atmosphere that people found tremendously appealing. The cottage sold the same day it was put up for sale.

What motivates him?

"I like the satisfaction of facing and resolving different challenges at all times," Gary says.