Carmella Filippis woke from a nightmare on April 29, 1929. The young mother of eight was frightened by her troubling dreams and, fearful that tragedy would strike her family, ordered her children to stay in their yard after school that day.

But 12-year-old Tony wandered away from the safety of his family’s Detroit home and tempted fate that afternoon.

“Some neighborhood kids came by and talked my dad into going swimming,” recounts A.J. Filippis, President of Wright & Filippis. “They hopped a train to ride to a nearby swimming hole, but the train was moving too fast to jump off.”

The group was well past their destination when, suddenly, the train jerked. Tony grabbed the coupling as his feet slapped the tracks. He climbed back up and someone yelled, ‘”Look! Your feet!” They were mangled beyond recognition, and later amputated below the knees.

“That one moment in time changed everything,” says A.J. “It was a catalyst that has affected hundreds of thousands of lives. If things had gone differently that day, who knows what my father would’ve ended up doing.”

From Then to Now

Things were a lot different in the mid 1900s than they are today. The disabled were very much discriminated against — so much so that when employers found out that Tony had artificial legs, they fired him. Tony took his frustrations to Carl Wright, a friend who’d made his artificial legs. Wright offered Tony a job as an apprentice, and 10 years later, Wright & Filippis was born.

Today, Wright & Filippis has grown from a small shop in Detroit to 31 offices and more than 750 staff members within Michigan, Northern Ohio, and Wisconsin. From computer-designed artificial limbs to home medical equipment, from the installation of wheelchair lifts and ramps to educating health care professionals about rehabilitation services, Wright & Filippis is a leader in the rehabilitative health care field. “If you look at health care companies across the country, they tend to specialize in either home medical equipment or prosthetics/orthotics,” says A.J. “My older brother, Gene, who led the company for 15 years until he passed away in 1997, was instrumental in expanding the company from prosthetics and orthotics into the home medical equipment arena. Thanks to his foresight, we really do have a competitive edge; our holistic approach to rehabilitative services truly makes us unique.”

Improving Lives

From the beginning, the focus of Wright & Filippis has been on improving patients’ lives. In addition to embracing advances in technology to help clients live their lives to the fullest, they accomplish this goal through client service and giving back to the community.

“It takes a very special person to interact with our clients,” says A.J. “In a lot of ways, we’re like the dentist — no one wants to come see us. Our patients have dealt with doctors, therapists, hospitals, and are often upset about all of the problems they’ve encountered. My father’s motto — and the motto we pass on to our staff — is to treat each patient as you would your mother. That is, if you like your mother,” he laughs.

“It can be challenging,” admits Carol Morgan, who’s worked at Wright & Filippis for 15 years. “Before coming to Wright & Filippis, I was a waitress at a family restaurant. When a grouchy customer would come in, all it would take to improve their mood was a simple cup of coffee. When I interact with a client, sometimes there’s nothing I can do to improve their mood. I just try to be an understanding ear and do whatever I can to help.”

Carol continues, “When it comes to hiring staff, I’ve learned two things: you can’t teach someone to care who doesn’t, and you can’t teach common sense. Besides that, we can teach anything.”

Giving Back

Tony Filippis will be 91 in September, yet he still comes to work every day. His main focus remains the same: helping to improve the lives of the disabled and fighting for their rights to make sure they get a fair shake.

To that end, Wright & Filippis is involved in several activities within the community. The most significant contributions are made through the Filippis Foundation, the nonprofit corporation established to offer a multitude of services and programs that allow the disadvantaged and physically challenged the independence to see their dreams become reality.

Programs include The Gene Filippis Memorial Golf Benefit; Wheelchair Daze, a free picnic for people of all ages with any form of disability and their families; wheelchair basketball; and the Athletes with Disabilities Hall of Fame. Founded in 1999, the Hall of Fame’s mission is to honor Michigan’s athletes with disabilities who’ve demonstrated achievement in sports and are positive role models in the community, as well as to educate the public about the disabled. “It’s a vehicle for community awareness,” explains A.J. “The fact that someone is in a wheelchair doesn’t mean they have to sit at home. They can still be active and work toward achieving their dreams.”

Starting Small

Periodically, Wright & Filippis invites elementary-aged children to visit their headquarters in Rochester Hills, Michigan. Why? To continue to break down barriers.

“Children learn easily,” says A.J. “We invite them in, show them around, and let them see what life’s like in a wheelchair. The impact is amazing.”

“Adults,” continues A.J., “are more challenging. We can teach them, sure, and we strive to, but it takes longer to sink in. There used to be this guy who worked for us — Jimbo. He was a quadriplegic. He used to tell a story about how he’d be talking to someone, and that person would feel a need to relate to his situation. ‘I have a friend in a wheelchair,’ they’d tell him. ‘Gee, that’s really interesting,’ he’d respond, ‘because I have a friend that walks.’ It sounds ridiculous, but people persist in this behavior all the same. That’s why we’re here. To help get rid of the stigma that’s still too-often associated with people who are disabled or different.”

Wright & Filippis and Plante & Moran: Making a Difference Together

Wright & Filippis counts two second-generation family members among its staff: A.J.,who serves as President, and Nancy, who is a regional marketing director. In addition, nine third-generation family members are currently employed in various roles throughout the organization, and two fourth-generation family members have held summer jobs there.

Since only one-third of family-owned businesses in the United States survive into the second generation, and of those, only one in five makes it to the third, how are Wright & Filippis beating the odds?

"Plante & Moran has been instrumental in helping us prepare a transition plan and avoid the mistakes that a lot of family businesses make," says A.J. "We’ve had a relationship with them for more than 20 years now, first with Don Gill and now with Tom Burke, and their expertise regarding family business never ceases to amaze."