New showroom to open as Shropshire mobility company expands

Shropshire Mobility Solutions Ltd is moving into the former Cafe on the Hill at Welsh Frankton and will open on Monday. The showroom is seen as the next logical step in the growth of the company which will hopefully create new jobs in the future.

Andrea Marston, 33, company director, said: “The company was started at our home in Gobowen three years ago and has been hugely successful. The increased volume of sales and the opportunity of the right premises is the ideal way of progressing the business.

“The new showroom will fit our needs perfectly. We have the showroom, an office and working space but we will be keeping our Gobowen address as well for those people who can’t necessarily travel.

“My husband Scott, a shareholder in the business, had a stroke four years ago and started using mobility aids which he found good for his rehabilitation.

“We identified a bit of a niche in the market and Scott’s experiences have enabled us to help others because he’s able to give a realistic opinion of products.

“We have developed the online side of the business and have sold as far north as Yorkshire and as far south as Lowestoft – it’s growing all the time.

“We have two employees at the moment which will soon increase to three and we are hoping to take on more staff within the next six to 12 months as we anticipate a massive rise in sales after the showroom opens.”

Andrea said the main focus was on keeping people mobile and independent, a particular benefit to maintaining good mental health.

“The business is unique in the sense that we provide free courtesy scooters for anyone needing repairs, servicing or if they have had an accident,” she added.

“We take trade-ins where a lot of companies don’t and we are very much customer focused, priding ourselves on never selling a scooter just for the sake of a sale. If it’s not right for somebody then we work to advise and guide on what best suits their needs, which is where Scott proves so valuable.

“For example, the most common thing is people see fold-up scooters advertised on TV and think they are automatically right for them. While they are ideal for airports and flat shopping centres, the lack of suspension means they are not ideal for pavements, particularly around Shropshire.

“We are currently Shropshire’s main dealer of the Scooterpac Cabin Cars – solid shell mobility scooters which don’t need a driving licence.

“They’re road legal, have heaters, windscreen wipers, reversing cameras plus lots more as standard. The cabin cars give people the independence they need without getting cold – they are proving very popular within the mobility industry.

“We are keen on people test driving our scooters and like to take them to the customer so they can be tried out on the terrain local to where they live. We need to ensure they are fit for purpose in those surroundings.”