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Movin' On Mobility - Vehicle Conversions
Author: | Thursday September 13, 2007
Andrew Goodyear of Movin' On Mobility and customer Eva LeBovic.
Professional Profile
Movin' On Mobility
Manages Growth to
Meet Needs of Clients
Andrew Goodyear and Rod Alt developed their successful mobility businesses from different beginnings and several years ago merged their experiences and talents to become a force in the vehicle modification industry.
Their company, Movin' On Mobility, recently opened in Hollywood, Florida under Goodyear's direction, joining mobility facilities in Riviera Beach in Palm Beach County, Fort Myers and Louisville, Kentucky.
Goodyear came into the business as a franchise owner of Wheelchair Getaways in South Florida in the early 90s, later expanding the company to Fort Myers where Alt has been in the vehicle conversion business since the 1970's as owner-operator of Movin' On Mobility. As Alt and Goodyear came to know each other through their allied companies, it seemed natural to partner in the vehicle conversion business and Movin' On Mobility expanded into the Southeastern Florida region under Goodyear's leadership.
"Rod is one of the most certified conversion dealers in Florida and is still hands on. He has tremendous knowledge," Goodyear told the Voice during a visit to the company's new Hollywood facility. Certification is an important part of Movin' On's approach as described by both owners. The company is a member of the National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association ((NMEDA) and works to follow the organization's high standards.
"What we like about being based in this part of South Florida is that it responds to our research that showed there was a need. There has been explosive growth in this area," Goodyear noted. For Alt, the same is true of Fort Myers where the population has grown dramatically in the last forty years.
The partnership is in its third year and both Alt and Goodyear seem to be more than pleased with how Movin' On has benefited, with each overseeing their facilities and establishing business relationships with their clients and individuals purchasing or adapting a vehicle.
One of those clients, Eva LeBovic of North Miami was getting a check-up on her van during the Voice visit to the Movin' On Hollywood facility. LeBovic, who is a Family Counselor with the Broward County Exceptional Student program, has Post Polio and her vehicle is equipped with ramp, hand controls, drive-in chair and low effort steering controls. She has to travel regularly between four schools so reliability is extremely important. She praised Mike Mance, the Hollywood location's manager and chief technician, as a "great diagnostician."
Both Alt and Goodyear say they have adapted vehicles for workers injured on the job and would like to develop more referrals from the workers' compensation industry. And they also work to educate case managers and adjusters that not all mobility dealers are the same. "I think what should be considered when choosing a mobility equipment dealer is the certification of the staff and the facility's ability to provide quality service," Goodyear stated.
Alt, in a separate interview expressed the same concern. He said the Veteran's Administration was bidding out conversion contracts with an emphasis on price without enough concern for whether or not the dealer was qualified and could provide follow up service. "This is doing a great disservice to veterans," he maintained.
Alt has built a reputation of providing quality service and assembling certified technicians. Two of his technicians have been with Movin' On for 12 years, another for over nine years and a fourth for a year. Even though Alt did more vehicle conversions than many larger operations, he also realized that in today's world you either "grow or go", as he put it. "I knew Andrew through Wheelchair Getaways and that there was a market in South Florida," Alt pointed out. The company brought on Bill Fishman as mobility consultant and marketing manager. Fishman travels throughout Florida, including rural communities to tell Movin' On's story, "We want to be there for everyone," Fishman explained.
The partnership has generated new business for Movin' On and also expanded the service area to make it easier for referral professionals to find their clients the mobility equipment they need.
Ed. Note: Movin' On Mobility provides virtually all custom modifications including, lowered floor mini vans, wheelchair and scooter lifts, hand controls and adaptive equipment, custom van conversions and trunk lifts. The company is also licensed to sell and service vehicles. The company is VA/VR approved. Workers' compensation and most insurance is accepted. For information call 239-275-1900 in Fort Myers, 954-929-9393 in Hollywood or 561-881-5600 in West Palm Beach. The web site is www.movinonmobility.com
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