Snell Prosthetic & Orthotic Laboratory*

Snell Prosthetic & Orthotic Laboratory of Little Rock has spent more than a century trying to make people whole.

Founded in 1911, Snell specializes in custom-made and fitted prosthetic and orthotic devices from artificial limbs to braces. Its high-demand products are for back injuries and below-the-knee amputations, said CEO Rick Fleetwood.

He said the company was constantly growing and currently sees 55,000 patients annually.

Snell has always had an office in Little Rock, but it opened its second location in 1998 in Russellville. It kept adding offices and now has nine locations across the state. And Fleetwood said two or three more offices would open this year, but he declined to name the cities because the deals weren’t final.

“We know that there is a need out there, and we intend to serve those needs,” he said.

Fleetwood said one of the challenges Snell was dealing with was the rising number of uninsured Arkansans. He said Snell had to “be more creative” in working with agencies such as Medicaid to ensure that the patients receive the equipment they require.

Fleetwood declined to release revenue figures but said revenue had been climbing because Snell was seeing more patients. Fleetwood credited the company’s success to its 56 employees, some of whom have worked there for more than 40 years.

“We’re blessed to have one of the best teams and group of individuals who are so compassionate and caring about the services that they provide to Arkansans across the state,” he said. Snell also sees patients from other states and other countries.

Fleetwood said his goal for the company was “to continue to get bigger and better and improve more lives.”