When you talk to Simeon Hughes, you quickly realize he doesn’t do anything halfway. He’s more than a man with a résumé – he’s on a mission. Whether leading U.S. sales for a New Zealand-based custom wheelchair seating company or chasing ducks with his 5-year-old daughter, Hughes brings full-throttle energy to everything he touches.
“I’m kind of hyper, and I love people. I also love a challenge, and I just have this need to figure things out,” Hughes said.
And figure things out, he has – often by jumping in with both feet, heart first.
Hughes is the director of U.S. sales and business development for Spex Seating, a company known for its customizable, modular wheelchair seating systems. It’s a dream role for someone passionate about helping people, solving problems, and shaping lives in meaningful ways. But his path to this role was anything but traditional.
After college, Hughes spent three years teaching English as a Second Language to adults and reading to fifth graders. Then, he took two years off to help establish a church congregation. After his first child was born, Hughes returned to teaching for more stability and a steady income.
While teaching, he launched a side business – power washing and window cleaning in Houston. But it wasn’t just a hustle; it was a mission. Hughes aimed to hire refugees, many of whom had fled war-torn regions in Africa or were displaced during the Arab Spring and the Syrian refugee crisis. As they worked together nights and weekends, Hughes taught them English and helped them assimilate.
The business grew fast, too fast. “I was paying my guys too much and hiring too many. I led with my heart instead of my calculator,” Hughes said. Eventually, the cash ran out, but the mission carried on.
One of his employees, an Iranian named Mateen who fled religious persecution, went on to launch Nations Houston, a nonprofit that distributes food and helps refugees find jobs.
“That’s what matters,” Hughes said. “Even if the business didn’t last, the impact did.”
Looking for something more stable after closing his business, Hughes took a neighbor’s suggestion to check out an opening at Southwestern Medical Reps. “I had zero medical background, but I love people, and I knew how to hustle,” Hughes said.
For the next nine months, he dedicated himself to learning the Complex Rehab Technology industry. Southwestern carried a range of custom rehab equipment, from beds and standers to power chairs and bath equipment. Hughes was all in, making cold calls, learning product specs, and asking questions. He eventually found a mentor in Rafferty Laredo, CEO of United Spinal Houston, who taught him anatomy one-on-one. Hughes then took a 40-hour seating and positioning course through VGM, earned his Assistive Technology Professional certification, and later obtained additional certifications as a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist and a Certified Environmental Access Consultant.
“I just kept going deeper and deeper. I love a challenge, and this industry is full of them,” he said.
While attending the International Seating Symposium, Hughes met the team from Spex Seating. He was immediately impressed with their modular seating system and recognized its potential applications.
After consulting with Spex on business strategy, pricing, warehousing, and more, Hughes joined full time to lead U.S. sales and business development. Today, he oversees a growing team of more than 20 independent sales representatives covering about 60 percent of the country.
“I’m basically all things U.S. for Spex right now – hiring, training, marketing, strategy. It’s a dream job,” Hughes said.
His mission with Spex is threefold: empower his reps, support clinicians, and improve the lives of clients and their families.
Sales, he insists, is about people not quotas. “It’s not about ‘always be closing,’” Hughes said. “It’s about solving problems and helping people live better lives.”
His first priority is his team. Hughes doesn’t just hire people; he invests in them. “I love giving people tools and vision. My goal is to equip them, then get out of the way,” he said.
Second, Hughes supports ATPs and clinicians by ensuring they have the tools to serve clients better. He recognizes a shift in the industry toward product-driven decisions instead of custom solutions. That’s where Spex makes a difference.
“With our product, we offer a solution that starts with the person,” he said. “Spex custom seating is whatever you need it to be in the moment. It allows practitioners to get creative and provide simple solutions to complex needs.”
Spex is also launching a continuing education program to bring fresh perspectives to custom seating. “Education is crucial. When you understand the ‘why,’ you can serve with confidence,” Hughes said.
Most importantly, he wants to help clients live fuller lives.
“Our product is built to adapt. People gain weight, lose weight, grow, change. We can modify the seating on the spot without starting over with a new mold. That’s a game-changer,” he said.
Hughes recalled a young woman who gained significant weight between her evaluation and the delivery of her chair.
“If we had brought a molded system, we would have failed her,” he said. “Instead, we made the adjustments right there. She got her independence – and her dignity – back in a single day.”
These days, Hughes is learning to slow down. “You can’t drive 110 mph all the time,” he said. “I’ve learned that the hard way.”
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When he’s not training reps or supporting evaluations, he’s hiking, woodworking, reading, or spending time with his kids. His oldest is into tennis, his son takes karate, and his youngest loves picking flowers and chasing bugs outdoors.
That balance fuels Hughes professionally. “I love being the guy who sees something new and just goes for it,” he said.
And what he sees is a future where custom seating is more personalized, more flexible, and more focused on people rather than products.
“I get to shape better lives – for our reps, for clinicians, and for the people sitting in these chairs,” he said. “That’s what gets me up every day.”
Simeon may be reached at simeon.hughes@spexseating.com.
Simeon Hughes, ATP, CEAC, CAPS, is U.S. sales and business development lead for Spex Seating, New Zealand. Working with more than 20 independent sales reps, Hughes covers approximately 60% of the U.S. providing leading-edge postural support solutions for a wide range of special needs.