Selling scooters without a scooter lift is like selling a burger without the fries, manufacturers say. "Lifts and scooters go hand-in-hand," says Mike Bruno Sr. of Bruno Independent Living Aids. "Providers that don't sell lifts and are sending their customers elsewhere are losing their most valuable asset-their customer base."

Suggested retail price on a lift installed on the outside of a car is about $1,500, with the cost to the provider hovering about $900, says Greg Malloy, owner and president of Worldwide Engineering. "We have one provider that is selling five to 10 lifts a month," he says. "We have found that if we can get a provider to put a lift on his showroom floor, it will sell."

While having the scooter lift on display is the first step toward making a sale, it is also important to tout the benefits of owning a "complete package," says Mike Shaw, owner of Mobility Carts Lifts. "It is important to tell the customer that a lift makes their scooter or wheelchair more usable in the sense that they can take it to the mall, shopping or to the park," he says.

Scooter lifts are a cash item, says Mark Sullivan, director of marketing for scooters and wheelchair lifts for Invacare Corp. "There is really no reimbursement right now, so it is important to build awareness [of lifts] on the part of the consumer," he says. "This can be accomplished through mailings and general marketing."

Although most manufacturers offer a training video or installation manual, they recommend that providers contract with hitch installers rather than install the item themselves, or hire an employee who is specifically trained for the task. Bruno, however, recommends that providers install the lifts themselves. The company offers a three-day training and sales seminar to certify its providers.-M.L.

WHILE THERE WILL ALWAYS BE a need for the small, indoor scooter that boosts a user's ability to function in the home, the market for mobility vehicles that can be used outside the home is booming, manufacturers say. "We have started coming out with bigger, faster scooters, some that can be adapted for golf courses and are mainly for outdoor lifestyle use," says Peggy Spiliadis of Optiway Technology.

Making golf courses accessible to people with disabilities is a growing concern of the golf industry, says Dan Meuser of Pride Mobility Products. "People don't want you to drive your power wheelchair or manual chair on the green because it will destroy it," he says.

In November, Pride introduced a line of heavy-duty, four-wheel, personal mobility vehicles, which it dubs the "golf-cart alternative." This strictly cash line is designed for people who may be able to get around indoors, but can't ambulate for great distances outdoors.

Amigo Mobility International joins the outdoor scooter market with the introduction this month of its folding scooter. The 61-pound TravelMate is not designed for people with disabilities, but to help people who have trouble walking outdoors "get out and do things," says Al Thieme, president.

What's in store for manufacturers that make only scooters? Not much, says Bob Senn of DCC Shoprider.

"The main players active in the scooter marketplace have all gone into power chairs," he says. DCC Shoprider introduced two power chairs to its line of products in November to "stay alive," Senn says. "If the scooter market is slowed down and shifting to power chairs, only a fool and his mother think they're going to change the market. You have to go with the way it's going."