BERLIN — A local company, which has quietly been providing custom orthotics to professional, collegiate and Olympic athletes for decades, last month was recognized by the NFL trainers association for its years of service to players in the league.
In February, Foot Management, a small, successful company based in Pittsville, was recognized by the Professional Athletic Trainers Society (PATS) with a special award at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. All of the head trainers were present at the award presentation, during which Foot Management was presented with a beautiful crystal football trophy.
PATS representative Roland Ramirez presented Foot Management with the award and statue, recognizing the company’s 32 years of service in providing custom orthotics and other devices to NFL players. Foot Management President Jack Kaeufer, who founded the company, recalled the first professional football player for which he created a custom orthotic device played for the Washington Redskins way back in 1978.
Since then, Foot Management in Pittsville has provided services to the Redskins, the Baltimore Colts, the Baltimore Ravens, the Dallas Cowboys, the Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders, the Washington Bullets, and later the Wizards, among others. Foot Management now provides services to all NFL teams and many other professional sports teams along with Olympic athletes.
Foot Management holds a U.S. trademark on a special insert to help professional and collegiate athletes deal with Turf Toe, a problem that plagues football players and other athletes caused by playing on artificial surfaces, which are often hard and unforgiving.
The company makes patented Turf Toe plates for a shoe insert that are attached to orthotics or insoles. Kaeufer said this week the local company prides itself in quietly providing services to some of the top athletes and professional sports teams in the country.
“We have, over the years, built trust with our clients,” he said. “They know we will provide them with custom, hand-made, high quality devices. No pre-made parts are ever used in the fabrication of our devices. Our slogan is ‘Made with Pride by People Who Care.’ We are not a big company and don’t want to be. We just want to be the best.”
Foot Management has also developed dynamic, semi-rigid orthotics that support the foot but still allow the foot to be a mobile adapter, plus foot pads and insoles for well-known professional and collegiate athletes as well as weekend warriors, all from its small headquarters in Pittsville.
“You may not have heard of us,” said Kaeufer. “We don’t blow our horn of brag about the athletes we work on. We believe it is private information for the athlete and the team, but if you’re watching and collegiate, professional or Olympic sport, chances are someone’s feet have Foot Management products on them.”
Foot Management supplies their products to orthopedic doctors and podiatrists across North America. Foot Management also has off-the-shelf products that can be ordered on-line.