When Salts Healthcare was first established, Australia hadn't yet been discovered, steam power still hadn't been developed, and oxygen had not been identified.
In 1989, when Philip Salt was appointed Chief Executive of Salts Healthcare, he became the 10th generation of the Salt family to take control of the company since the brothers John and William Salt took jobs as apprentice locksmiths in Wolverhampton in the early 1700s, laying foundations for one of Britain's oldest surviving institutions.
During his time, Philip, with the help of his two brothers, has helped guide Salts Healthcare, one of the first commercial organisations in the UK to provide orthotic products, into the global healthcare market where he is committed to extending their family values.
Philip said: "Our success has been built on the principal of putting the needs of people at the heart of everything we do and my earliest memories are being part of a rich heritage of innovation and healthcare."
A qualified Orthotist, Philip started his working life with Midlands Orthopaedic Supplies, a manufacturing company which was later taken over by Salts Healthcare. He has contributed to the growing success of UK Orthotic and Podiatry companies as part of the Healthcare Industry Task Force (HITF) and as Chairman of the British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA) where he remains an active member. He said: "This position helped provide a unified voice to the Department of Health to ensure consumers and patients are at the forefront of the NHS and that in the UK they have access to healthcare and assistive technology products and services which meet their needs."
Salts Techstep, a part of the Salts Healthcare Group, is one of the major manufacturers of custom made surgical footwear and appliances and collaborated on a European funded initiative with Staffordshire University in the development of SMART materials for use in diabetic footwear.
"I am proud of the advances in our manufacturing techniques which have been helped a great deal by the work carried out in our collaboration with Staffordshire University. This partnership helps us continue to remain at the forefront of innovation."
The award of Honorary Doctor of Staffordshire University is bestowed upon Philip for his contribution to the UK orthotic and podiatry profession, for his commitment to manufacturing using innovative and modern techniques in collaboration with the Biomechanics team at Staffordshire University.