Numotion, VMI integrate approach

BRENTWOOD, Tenn., and PHOENIX - A new partnership between Numotion and Vantage Mobility International aims to remove “pain points” for wheelchair users, the two companies say.

As part of the partnership, Numotion and VMI will step up efforts to educate wheelchairs on their options for transportation.

“I'm pretty new to the industry and the more I learn about it the more I'm surprised by how low consumer awareness is of the solutions that are available,” said Mark Shaughnessy, who joined VMI as president and CEO last year. “When you think about the consumer's journey—learning they need a wheelchair and finding a solution for that, and then figuring out how to get around and finding a solution for that—there are a number of pain points and all we care about is helping them solve those.”

Numotion and VMI have piloted their partnership at select Numotion locations and now plan to roll it out to all of the company's nearly 150 locations.

Examples of how the partnership has taken shape include Numotion hosting “demo days” where it has one of VMI's wheelchair accessible vehicles on site, Numotion stocking its locations with more marketing materials and collateral on VMI and its offerings, and Numotion's front-line associates receiving higher-level training from VMI.

“We're not selling conversion vans, but we're providing consultation to our customers on the alternatives that exist,” said Mike Swinford, CEO of Numotion. “We're more well informed and it's a more integrated approach.”

Because not all Numotion locations have room to showcase a wheelchair accessible vehicle, Numotion will also leverage VMI's more than 300 dealer locations that are “within arm's reach,” Shaughnessy said.

“Where the consumer wants to see the vehicle and test drive it, we can easily facilitate that,” he said.

While Numotion has always made referrals for the transportation needs of its customers, the company now has “one national partner” it can refer to, Swinford said.

“We're not looking to partner with anyone else and neither are they,” he said. “It's a unique relationship—a very strategic one.”