Ronnie N. Graves LPO, RTP, BOC Orthotist
President Prosthetics Research Specialists, Inc.
720 East Southland Ave
Bushnell, Fl 33513
352-793-4477
Ronnie has been in the Prosthetics and Orthotics industry since 1979 when he moved to Florida. He became an amputee on May 15th 1975 in Council Bluffs Iowa. Ronnie drove tractor trailer from 1975 to 1979. When the state of Florida agreed to help Ronnie by purchasing a limb for him, they helped him secure his first job in Prosthetics at Orlando Prosthetics Laboratory in Orlando Florida. 18 short years later, Ronnie was voted Entrepreneur of the year in the state of Florida. One of Ronnie's inventions (a partial foot) was awarded best Engineered new product in Germany.
Being an amputee has dramatically helped Ronnie to invent several products that make the everyday lives of amputees better.
Ronnie and his wife Linda opened Prosthetics Research Specialists, Inc. in 1989 part time, while remaining employed full time in their respective fields. In 1992 they both went full time to manufacture and distribute worldwide. They located in beautiful Bushnell Florida due to the rural lifestyle that Sumter County offered.
Their diverse collection of animals has led them into the orthotics and prosthetics business for others. Neither Ronnie or Linda can stand to see an animal suffer. They try to make them as comfortable and peaceful as they can be.
They both devote a significant amount of their own time to help the Humane Society and Disaster Animal Response Team. They were involved in the 1998 Florida fires and went into evacuated counties (with state permission) and rescued people and animals with the fire raging around them. They worked for 3 days and were part of a group that rescued over 600 animals and several people. Ronnie was also the only injury in the whole rescue and has been the butt of a lot of good natured kidding over it. He was bit by a poodle while trying to give the excited and scared dog a little extra attention. When the dog bit him, he could not just drop it , instead, he had to let it continue to chew on his hand while he put him back in his kennel.