Austin, Texas Aiming to offer mobility products directly to consumers nationwide, home medical equipment provider Southern Therapy has launched a retail consumer division, ScooterNation.

"We're going to do to the scooter industry what has happened with automobiles by taking it direct to consumers," said Southern Therapy president Calvin Cole. The company will subcontract with other providers for service and repairs.

The first location opened in April. Located in a "senior mall," the 4,000-square-foot San Antonio store features wheelchairs, scooters, lift chairs and other mobility aids, Cole said. Strictly a private-pay enterprise, ScooterNation offers financing to the end-user. Customers who could qualify for third-party reimbursement are referred to a Southern Therapy location, Cole said.

Cole plans a massive nationwide marketing campaign with print, TV and radio ads and a well-known spokesperson. "The first big retailer [in the mobility market] will have the best opportunity to capture name recognition," he said.

Cole wouldn't say how many ScooterNation stores will dot the nation by year's end, but he did say the division's goal is to sell 1,000 scooters a month by 2000. -K.S.