Southwest Scooter to open distribution center, dealership

Southwest Scooter Co. has announced that it will open a regional assembly and distribution center in Nacogdoches, Texas, for motor scooters and all terrain vehicles. The facility will supply dealers in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas and Missouri.

The company also announced its intention to open a retail dealership in Nacogdoches in January 2009 that will offer 50-250cc scooters in the $1,895 to $3,995 price range, as well as ATVs that range in price from $3,995 to $6,995. Southwest Scooter recently opened its first dealership in Rusk, Texas.

“As the home of Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches is a natural fit for the scooter market,” said Greg James, president and CEO of Southwest Scooter Co. “Scooters are a great transportation alternative ideally suited for a college town with speed limits less that 40 MPH. Scooters are inexpensive to purchase and operate, as well as being easier to park.”

According to James, Southwest Scooter will hire 14 employees within the next 90 days, and expects to grow to 36 employees within three years.

“We recognized early on that the match up with the community’s demographics presented us with an opportunity to place a progressive growing business in Nacogdoches,” said James. “By recruiting SFASU graduates and students as employees, the Southwest Scooter Company hopes to provide meaningful employment as a means of staying in Nacogdoches.”

Southwest Scooter has been working closely with the Nacogdoches Economic Development Corporation (NEDCO) and the City of Nacogdoches for the past several months to launch this new company. The Small Business Development Center at Angelina College was instrumental in helping Southwest Scooter develop its business plan.

“Southwest Scooter Company is based in Nacogdoches because of the support provided by the community’s leadership,” said James. “Nacogdoches has been very supportive in bringing a new industry and jobs to town.”

The Nacogdoches City Commission approved an $180,000 low interest loan to Southwest Scooter from the city’s Revolving Loan Fund, a public sector financial tool established to stimulate economic growth in the community. RLF funds are awarded for the purpose of creating new permanent jobs, or permanently retaining existing jobs, primarily for low and moderate-income persons.

Call 936-858-3800 for more information.

About Southwest Scooter:
Southwest Scooter Company is a licensed U.S. distributor for TNG, a growing motor sports distributor based in Seattle, Wash. Southwest Scooter has exclusive rights to supply dealerships in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Kansas and Missouri. The company is headquartered in Nacogdoches, Texas.