Diverse excellence sets the standard for Newby Vance Mobility Sale
by Jason Chandler, Staff Writer
It is the business model of Newby Vance Mobility Sales in Guthrie that is unique in meeting the needs of persons living with a disability, said Jim Seeger-Newby, of Newby Vance Mobility Sales. Newby Vance Mobility Sales is the only Ford, General Motors, Chrysler dealership franchise in the United States, Newby said.
“It’s also a full-fledged comprehensive mobility dealer,” Newby said.
The business model is designed to allow people who have a family member with a special transportation need to come to a single location, Newby said. Their individual vehicle needs will be identified at the same time their mobility needs are evaluated.
“It allows people to be treated like anyone else and not have to go to a car dealership and purchase a vehicle and then have to take their vehicle to a handicapped store to have it adapted,” he said. “That is not a very user-friendly way to have their needs met.”
The Newby Vance Mobility Sales business model allows people to bring their vehicle here for its service work and body shop work to be taken care of at a single location.
“That is the strength of our business model,” he said. “So what we offer is a comprehensive mobility/automotive business model that allows people to have their entire set of automotive, transportation mobility needs met in a single location.”
The business was founded 20 years ago and with a lot of hard work became one of the largest 15 mobility dealers in the United States. He runs the business with his son, Marcus Newby. Its success is not only due to its business model but also by the way Newby Vance Mobility Sales treats customers with individualized service. Newby Vance Mobility Sales dwells on the relationships it cultivates with every customer.
“Once you do business with us, unless you move away or unless I move away, we’re probably going to know each other for the rest of our lives,” Newby said. “Because you’re going to be contacting us and bringing your vehicle in for special service, special care when the equipment or adaptions require special service or repair.”
Customers bring their needs back to where they have a trusted relationship at Newby Vance Mobility Sales. Relationships have been developed with more than 7,000 customers, Newby said. So reoccurring business is common.
Although Newby Vance Mobility Sales is located at an automobile dealership, it is important for customers and potential customers to function on a scheduled basis. The company serves clients from all across the state.
People go to typical car dealership stores sometimes on a whim, but 95 percent of Newby Vance Mobility Sales meeting with customers is on a scheduled basis, he said.
“When you come, one of the things we help you do is to identify what your short-term or long-term needs are,” Newby continued. “And that takes time to do. It’s not much fun to try to do that when you have people walking in and out on an unscheduled basis.”
The location is west of the 153 exit on Interstate 35, making it an easy to find business in central Oklahoma at the northern edge of the Oklahoma City metroplex.
“We’re right on the I-35 artery, and so it’s real easy to get to us no matter what direction you’re coming from,” Newby said. “You don’t have to suffer if you will congested city street driving to get to us. We’re a little bit farther for some people but it’s actually an easier drive for the majority of people who come to us.”
The BraunAbility manufactures a conversion that is installed on several different mini vans. This conversion lowers the floor of a vehicle to provide adequate head room for those people entering the vehicle in a wheel chair.
“The conversion also consists of a ramp that can operate electrically or manually,” he said
A person can literally push a button for the ramp to deploy and bring the person into the vehicle while they are in their chair. The flexibility of the product allows a person to drive from a wheelchair, ride in their wheelchair or transfer from their wheelchair.
“Not all people need a special mini van. It’s very individualized,” he said. “It’s what a person’s needs are and how you can help them determine what is in their best interest.”
