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Lynn Gonzales
Media Relations
The SCOOTER Store
(830)626-4064
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The SCOOTER Store is Nation's Leading Provider of Mobility Aides
NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas, December 12, 2003—The SCOOTER Store is the leading provider of personal mobility vehicles in the United States.
Founded in 1991 by Texas engineer Doug Harrison and wife Susanna as a dream to help people with limited mobility regain their freedom and independence, and based on the credo "Do the Right Thing," The SCOOTER Store has grown from just a vision into a highly successful national enterprise with revenues in excess of $250 million annually.
With world headquarters in Central Texas, what started out as a weekend van and scooter rental shop now operates retail stores and distribution centers at more than 60 locations coast-to-coast. The SCOOTER Store has more than 1,300 employees, who are shareholders in the company.
The SCOOTER Store has achieved its success through efficiency in facilitating the delivery of power wheelchairs and scooters available to qualified seniors under the Medicare program, along with growing retail sales to a broad spectrum of others with mobility problems. The company recently launched a new lightweight line of power scooters, including the Star and Go-Go, for the general utility market.
As the premier company in its field, The SCOOTER Store has taken the lead in innovation and the establishment of industry standards. Recognizing former limitations of conventional power-operated wheelchairs, Harrison worked diligently with suppliers to design more maneuverable vehicles. The result is products that allow greater mobility within small confined areas such as bathrooms and narrow doorways.
The company also has been instrumental in forming the Power Mobility Coalition, a national body working for establishment of recognized principles and standards in the industry to ensure consumer safeguards. These include a requirement that providers of power mobility vehicles offer ongoing customer service and product maintenance after the sale, a hallmark of The SCOOTER Store operation.
Harrison is particularly adamant that all of The SCOOTER Store procedures maintain strict compliance with Medicare regulations. Under federal policies, mobility vehicles are provided and funded through regional centers for Medicare/Medicaid Services to senior beneficiaries at the recommendation of their attending physicians. The SCOOTER Store maintains a rigid screening regimen to assure that all recipients are fully qualified. Every prospective user is subject to a ten-step process to assure that the beneficiary is educated, screened, evaluated, compliant and not forgotten. The SCOOTER Store services every beneficiary consistently with an at-home assessment and in-home evaluation. It also offers a no-questions-asked return policy, a full one-year manufacturer's warranty and lifetime access to service and support.
While gratified with the realization of his dream since leaving a secure corporate position 12 years ago, The SCOOTER Store founder and CEO is far from finished pursuing his passion. He expects to increase dramatically the number of retail outlets in the next two years and double the company's annual sales within three years. He anticipates new evidence soon of the vast societal benefits of Medicare's mobility program from a national outcome study conducted by a team of noted researchers. He believes that study will document that seniors who are able to remain at home and independent with the assistance of mobility aids are happier, healthier and less costly to the Medicare program than those who do not take advantage of the power equipment.
Beyond the business aspects of his endeavor, Harrison maintains a philosophical passion for what he is doing.
"It is our belief that people should not be prisoners in their own homes," he said. "We are dedicated to providing mobility and freedom to improve their quality of life. Susanna and I, along with our suppliers, have very strong personal and emotional ties to this business. It is the core of our being to serve people in need. At The SCOOTER Store, 'Do The Right Thing' isn't just a slogan, they are the words we live by. It means viewing the world with compassion and integrity, and that's the way we conduct ourselves."
About The SCOOTER Store
Since 1991, The SCOOTER Store has helped provide freedom and independence to more than 350,000 people with limited mobility. The SCOOTER Store offers a full line of durable medical equipment, including power wheelchairs and scooters, lifts, ramps and accessories in all 48 contiguous states plus Puerto Rico. The SCOOTER Store has worked with more than 110,000 physicians, providing expertise and quality service to their patients, and is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Health Care.
