Amigo Mobility International, Inc. is an American manufacturer that produces electric mobility devices for use in aviation, healthcare, logistics, and retail.
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Electric mobility devices |
| Founded | 1968 |
| Founders | Al Thieme |
| Headquarters | Bridgeport Township, Michigan |
Key people | |
| Products | |
| Website | Official website  |
History
editAmigo Mobility was founded by Allan "Al" R. Thieme in 1968 to manufacture and sell the electric mobility scooter he had developed.[1][2][3] At the time, Thieme was working as a plumbing and heating contractor in Bridgeport, Michigan.[4]
Thieme developed the company's first mobility scooter in 1968 to assist a family member who had begun losing their mobility due to multiple sclerosis.[2][3] He named the device Amigo in reference to a Portuguese and Spanish word for friend.[4]
Originally not considered eligible for healthcare insurance coverage as a personal mobility device usable for healthcare purposes (similar to a wheelchair), the company had to seek an amendment to existing laws by the United States Congress to quality the mobility scooter for federal reimbursement.[1][5] By the mid-1980s, the United States federal government was reimbursing nearly a portion of the cost of nearly half of the mobility scooters sold - primarily through Medicare, Medicaid, and the Veterans Health Administration.[1] The passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 increased the usability and popularity of the devices in the United States.[1]
In 1970, the company introduced their first motorized shopping cart, a variation on their mobility scooter with a built-in basket.[2]
The company began selling their mobility scooters in the United Kingdom in 1978 through Raymar, an independent and recently formed company based in the UK.[6][7]
Thieme received the National Small Business Person of the Year award in 1981 from the United States Small Business Administration.[4] His wife, Beth Thieme, joined him in receiving the Michigan Manufacturer of the Year award from the Michigan Manufacturer's Association in 2012.[2]
Amigo Mobility began providing electric mobility devices for logistical support by introducing their first electric material handling cart in 2015.[4]
In 2020, the company began construction on an expansion to their headquarters and manufacturing facility in Bridgeport Township, Michigan.[2][3] The expansion was completed a year later in 2021.[3]
Amigo Mobility acquired the company AeroTow in 2021 and expanded into providing electric mobility devices for the aviation industry.[4][8]
Products
editAircraft tugs
editAeroTow
editIn 2021, Amigo Mobility acquired AeroTow in 2021 and expanded into manufacturing and selling aircraft tugs - used during an aircraft's pushback procedure.[3]
AeroTow, also known as Aero-Tow, was founded in 1996 by Terry Railing.[3] Railing was an original owner of Chapter 2, a machine shop that produced the Gettelman Lug-Bug.[8] He also owned and operated a True Value Hardware store prior to starting AeroTow.[8]
The company's AeroTow produces and sells electrical and manually powered tugs for a variety of small aircraft.[8]
Material handling equipment
editAmigo Mobility introduced their first electric material handling cart in 2015.[4] They produce a variety of platform trucks with different tow capacities.[9]
Personal mobility devices
editAmigo scooters
editAmigo Mobility's founder, Al Thieme, developed their first personal mobility device - the Amigo scooter - in his garage in 1968 to assist a family member who had begun losing their mobility due to multiple sclerosis.[1][2][3] He named the device Amigo, the friendly wheelchair, in reference to amigo, a Portuguese and Spanish word for friend.[1] The first device operated at up to 4 miles per hour (6.4 km/h).[1]
In 1970, the company introduced a motorized shopping cart.[2] The design remained in use until it was modernized in 2002.[4]
Amigo introduced a personal mobility device designed for use on more rugged terrain in 1987.[4]
Amigo TravelMate
editThey introduced the Amigo TravelMate in 1998, marketed as the world's first folding personal mobility device.[4]
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g Buck, Stephanie (2016-09-21). "How mobility scooters went from garage project to multibillion-dollar industry". Medium. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
- ^ a b c d e f g Jordan, Heather (2020-11-20). "Amigo Mobility, Bridgeport Manufacturing investing $3.3 million in Saginaw County". mlive. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
- ^ a b c d e f g Engel, Justin (2021-09-23). "Bridgeport-based motorized mobility cart company gets into aviation business". mlive. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "About Us". Amigo Mobility. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
- ^ Lynch-Morin, Kathryn (2011-08-22). "Medicare-funded power wheelchairs create headache for Amigo Mobility". mlive. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
- ^ "History of The Mobility Scooter – Who Invented The First One?". ABLEize Blog. March 8, 2019. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
- ^ Sarsby, Sarah (2019-03-01). "Four decades and counting… The birth of the mobility scooter revolution". THIIS Magazine. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
- ^ a b c d "About us". AeroTow. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
- ^ "Manufacturer Spotlight: Amigo Mobility". Facility Supplies, LLC. 2023-04-12. Retrieved 2023-07-28.