“An Exciting New Chapter”

Davies leads Access BDD on a journey of growth.

by Kathleen Farrell

It has been more than a year since U.K.-based Access BDD brought its stairlifts to the North American market. Melissa Davies, head of Business Development, North America, for Access BDD, has led the company’s launch into new territory. As a French speaker, Davies joined the Access team six years ago to help the company expand its international dealer network. She entered the vertical-transportation (VT) industry by chance — and hasn’t looked back. “I cannot imagine ever leaving,” said Davies. “There’s no better feeling than knowing that you and your colleagues are helping people all over the world live safer, happier and more independent lives.”

Davies was delighted to have the opportunity to bring Access BDD’s range of life-changing solutions to new customers. The official U.S. launch took place at the Medtrade Expo and Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, on October 24-26, 2022. “We used this great event to introduce North America to Access BDD and meet our new U.S. customers,” Davies said. Access representatives demonstrated the HomeGlide and Flow X stairlifts to attendees, and the show marked an “exciting new chapter” in the company’s story. In September of this year, Access made its National Association of Elevator Contractors Convention & Exposition debut in Reno, Nevada. 

The past 12 months have been a journey of growth for the company. It hasn’t been without challenges; namely, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Because the need for stairlift solutions never stopped, the Access team had to create new ways to provide support and service to their dealers such as virtual training sessions, socially distanced supervision, video call support and new health and safety initiatives. “At the time, it felt impossible, but in the end, we were able to adapt and make sure that we could continue to provide our mobility solutions to those that needed them most,” said Davies. 

Davies commented that the U.S.’ “huge” size differentiates it from European markets. Starting from scratch, she set out to find the right businesses to partner with across the states. Davies’ efforts paid off and relationships with various American companies are burgeoning. “The feedback on the products has been amazing, and we are looking forward to seeing how these partnerships grow in the coming years,” Davies said.

As a female leader in an industry that has been traditionally male-dominated, Davies believes that hard work and dedication to the business are more powerful than anything else. She said:

“In the end, it doesn’t matter to anyone that you are female — all that matters is that you are passionate, hard-working and the best person for the job. I also think people find it refreshing to work with women when the industry is male dominated. It makes for an interesting change!” 

When asked what advice she would give to women considering a job in VT, Davies responded that while it may feel intimidating to get started, one should never let potential challenges discourage a genuine interest in the industry. She noted that as the industry becomes more diverse and inclusive, more people will be inspired to join. “Try to see it as an opportunity to break barriers and challenge stereotypes.” Davies added. “The most important thing is to always pursue a career that excites you.”