Invacare adds former Virginia senator to board

ELYRIA, Ohio — Invacare Inc. has appointed Charles Robb, a former senator and governor from Virginia, to its board of directors.

Robb, a Democrat who represented Virginia in the U.S. Senate from 1989 to 2001, is scheduled to begin his term on Invacare’s board on March 10, according to a statement from the home-health equipment maker.

“As Invacare looks to maximize the advantages of our global footprint, and as we enter new markets like China and Latin America, Sen. Robb’s international perspective will be extremely beneficial,” said A. Malachi Mixon III, Invacare’s chief executive.

Since leaving the Senate, Robb has been a law professor at George Mason University, according to the statement.

For its most recent quarter, Invacare saw earnings per share jump 27 percent even as sales dropped 6 percent. The increased profits came mostly from cost-cutting activities — like taking steps to reduce purchasing and freight costs — and from past job and facilities cuts, as well as better accounts receivable and payable management, lower interest payments on debt and a lower corporate tax rate.