The Scooter Store climbs list

NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas - At No. 38, The Scooter Store ranked higher than companies like Microsoft in Fortune Magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For" list for 2010, but it's more concerned with being ranked lower than companies like Google.

"All of the things that we think we're doing well--there are 37 other companies out there that are doing it better," said Doug Harrison, The Scooter Store's president and CEO. "So we have a lot of work left to do."

To compile the list, Fortune Magazine teamed up with the Great Place to Work Institute to survey 81,000 employees from 353 companies. It's not The Scooter Store's first time on the list: It ranked 58th in 2004.

More than anything else, Harrison credits The Scooter Store's mission statement for its ranking: "Provide freedom and independence to people with limited mobility."

"Every single person that works for us, from a security guard to a sales person, knows those nine words," Harrison said. "Two of the things we all want out of our lives is knowing why we're doing what we're doing and being part of something bigger than ourselves. I think our mission statement encapsulates that."

The Scooter Store also ranked No. 1 for job growth (51%) and No. 10 for number of new jobs (726)--a reflection of its decision in the last year to diversify into lifts and other aids to daily living.

"With everything that has happened to the benefit, we thought it was the right time to ask ourselves, 'Are there other products we can help Medicare beneficiaries with?' and 'Are there other customers that aren't Medicare beneficiaries?'" Harrison said.

Additionally, The Scooter Store ranked No. 84 for annual pay ($53,898 for a mobility consultant, on average) and No. 78 for hourly pay ($31,015 for an insurance verification coordinator, on average).

Fortune Magazine also praised The Scooter Store for its culture--its quarterly rallies and birthday celebrations to name a few.

"We get so busy that we sometimes forget to spend time making sure that everyone who works for us loves working for us," Harrison said. "We want to make sure our employees like what they're doing. If we take care of them, they'll take care of us."