Matt Gelfand has carved a career path that’s both wide and deep, having made his mark on Wall Street, as a first responder, as a teacher and as a coach. And along the way, he’s made a point of trying to find better ways to do things that make life safer and more livable.
“I’ve always tried to do two things in my life,” says Gelfand, a self-proclaimed serial entrepreneur. “One is to be a productive and a contributing partner in the communities where I’ve lived and worked. The second is to look at things and ask, ‘How can it be better?’”
Over the years he has been able to launch successful business ventures by combining his entrepreneurial spirit with his desire to make things better.
More than two decades ago, while serving as a volunteer firefighter on Long Island, he developed the Ground Retractable Automobile Barrier (GRAB). Originally designed with railroad crossings in mind, GRAB later was tweaked for security applications.
“If you visit large retail centers or public venues you’ll notice fixed obstacles, called bollards, positioned near the entrances,” says Gelfand. “They’re designed to prevent people from driving vehicles into public areas. But the impact from colliding into a bollard can be devastating. So we developed a system that was more like driving a vehicle into a baseball glove that ‘catches’ you, that is designed to stop vehicles of different sizes and is reusable after impact.”
Gelfand formed a new company, Universal Safety Response (USR), to market and sell GRAB and the system quickly became popular with military installations looking to fortify their perimeter security. In 2004, its first year of operation, USR posted $2 million in sales. The next year, Gelfand and his wife, Laura, relocated to Franklin, bringing USR along with them. By 2009, USR was among the Inc.500 fastest-growing companies with $40 million in sales and nearly 400 employees. Later that year, Gelfand sold the business to Smith & Wesson and it remains in operation in Franklin today.
His latest endeavor is TopPT, a physical therapy company based in Cool Springs. Neither Gelfand nor his business partner, Steve DeGolia, have experience as physical therapy providers. But they’ve both been physical therapy clients and encountered similar experiences. “We found that most people liked their therapist, but they hated the experience,” says Gelfand. “From sitting in the waiting room to sharing your therapist with several other patients in a hectic environment, it wasn’t created with the patient in mind. We wanted to create an environment where you could love the experience.”
At TopPT, there is no waiting room. When patients arrive, they’re greeted by their therapist who remains with them through the entirety of the visit. In addition to the latest equipment, TopPT features lots of natural light and a refresh recovery room that’s more of a lounge or theater.
“The entire TopPT experience is more akin to a spa,” says Gelfand. “It’s common sense. if you come in and your therapist is dedicated solely to you, you’re going to have a better experience and, potentially, better outcomes.”
When away from TopPT, Gelfand can be found around town with Laura, who is a teacher at Brentwood Academy, and their sons Connor and Christopher who are BA students. “Like a lot of other dads, I’m an Uber driver,” he says. He’s also a reserve deputy in the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office.
TopPT is located at 393 Nichol Mill Lane near Mallory Lane and CoolSprings Galleria. TopPT.health
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