By Dirk Vanderhart
GRAND RAPIDS — Nurture, Steelcase Inc.’s fledgling hospital-furnishings division, purchased a pair of Ontario-based furniture manufacturers, the company said Wednesday.


The 4-month-old firm acquired Softcare Innovations Inc. and its manufacturing arm, DJRT Manufacturing Inc., for an undisclosed amount.

Both operations are based in Waterloo, Ontario.

Incorporated in 1995, privately held Softcare boasts a line of more than 1,000 hospital-geared furniture models ranging from nurses’ stations to recliners to dining tables.

“They run the gamut,” said Steelcase spokeswoman Deb Bailey, declining details on how long the acquisition had been in the works.

“The important thing is they are appropriate for a health-care environment.”

Nurture will continue to market the company’s products through Steelcase dealers and Softcare’s network in Canada and the United States.

Softcare employs 50 people and posted 2012 sales of about $19 million.

The enterprises will remain headquartered in Waterloo, and existing management will oversee operations.

The takeover marks the first acquisition by Nurture, launched in May in response to demographic trends favoring the health-care furniture industry. The company adapts Steelcase products for health-care environments.

“Softcare, with one of the broadest product offerings of any health-care manufacturer, is a welcome addition to this new family,” Nurture President Michael Love said in a statement. “They are focused on markets and price points that complement our existing product lines.”