We recently sat down with Steve Basta, CEO of Fremont-based Alter-G. Alter-G manufactures revolutionary equipment to aid in physical therapy and improves mobility, including the Anti-Gravity Treadmill and the world’s first intuitive bionic leg. Keep reading to learn more about the company’s tremendous growth, commitment to U.S. manufacturing, and why Fremont works as the location for its headquarters.

Q: Alter-G is experiencing strong growth and is recognized as a leader in this sector, as highlighted by recent photos of Kobe Bryant using the treadmill! What’s driving this?

A: The AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill provides an extraordinary experience. Users who can’t walk elsewhere, find that they can walk comfortably. The millions of runners who are injured or anyone recovering from surgery or injury can run and recover without pain. Our success comes from the extraordinary experience on the anti-gravity treadmill. One of our hidden assets, however, and core to our success is our sales force, marketing, and clinical training teams. This business depends on establishing strong relationships at all levels of the rehab channel. We are always looking for new ways to build our brand awareness within this market, and to reach out to new users to drive awareness and adoption. This includes engaging with communities where we have a presence to explore partnership opportunities with local hospitals and wellness centers. There are a relatively small number of players focused on the rehab and mobility device space. We have an opportunity to break out in the coming years as the rehab market leader.

Q: In this age of increased “reshoring,” you have a great manufacturing story. Can you describe what contributes to this decision?

A: For our Anti-Gravity Treadmill, 90 percent of all its content is manufactured in the United States and of that, 65 percent is made in the Bay Area. All final assembly and shipping is done right here in Fremont. This both improves our operational efficiency and lowers our carbon footprint. With relatively low volumes, it is easier to prioritize the use of local suppliers, which in turn, allows us to stay laser-focused on controlling quality.

Q: Discuss your decision to establish your headquarters in Fremont.

A: There were two primary reasons that Alter-G located in Fremont in 2006. The first is that Fremont’s value proposition is clear – there is an availability of low-cost R&D and manufacturing space, compared to other parts of Silicon Valley. It would be very difficult for us to be profitable on the Peninsula. Second, this is a great location for recruiting employees, considering that Fremont is remarkably accessible to all parts of the Bay Area. As a result, we recently expanded our facility and tripled our footprint here.

Q: What’s next?

A: We are growing and, more importantly, hiring! Right now, we are actively recruiting embedded software, robotics and electrical engineering talent. With our recent acquisition of Tibion and their bionic leg technology, we look forward to increasing our product offerings and getting more and more people moving again.