Many companies have gotten their start because their founder was looking for an answer to a real-world problem. That's the case with SwimEx in Rhode Island. Stan Charren created the first SwimEx machine because of his chronically bad back.

Today SwimEx is well known among coaches and players, college and pro, as well as by physical therapy professionals. "The reason is that all those people need a customized, low-impact workout," says Steve DaSilva, the company's president. "With SwimEx, you customize your workout by resistance of the current and by water depth. Our paddle wheel technology can create a wide, realistic river current of up to 6.5 mph."Mark Fryer, the product engineer, says the right kind of drive was needed to control the speed of the paddle-wheel propulsion system. "We looked for an inverter that would be capable of dealing with the pool's GFCI circuit breaker." In addition, the drive had to be the right size – there was no room for an old-fashioned, clumsy design in such a sleek machine.

Variable frequency drives from AC Technology were selected. Special software to lower the audible noise of the motor, customer-specified air switches, and a serial communications port were also provided. "We are really a developer and manufacturer of off-the-shelf variable frequency drives," explains John Parker Jr., a district manager. "But we have the in-house engineering capabilities that allow us to help solve a wide range of mechanical and electrical concerns."

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