Helping disabled stay mobile aim for West Dundee couple

A husband-wife team from West Dundee are making a North Carolina-based company accessible in Illinois.

Nick and Elizabeth Lopez are growing their 101 Mobility franchise operation designed to provide equipment that allows disabled individuals greater mobility and allows older adults to remain in their homes. “We specialize in wheelchair ramps, stair lifts and home and porch elevators,” Nick Lopez said.

While a great deal of the two-and-half-year-old business is residential, the company is doing more work with hospitals, rehab centers and assisted living facilities. They also have equipment that helps to transfer patients from a bed to a sitting position.

The owner of the Elgin-based franchise said they often work with families that have caregivers in the home. Nick Lopez explained that the number of workman's compensation cases is going up in the industry because caregivers are injured while moving clients.

Prior to launching the business, Nick Lopez was in the corporate world in business development for years. When there was a strong chance he would have to relocate back to California, he began thinking about starting a business. Nick, of Filipino-Mexican descent, was born in Los Angeles and wanted to stay in this area.

“We worked with a franchise consultant and 101 Mobility came to the top of the list,” he said, adding that he enjoys helping people.

“We help people solve the challenges in their home,” he said. The couple often works with adult children that have elderly parents. They make visits to hospitals and rehab cents and talk to potential clients before the patient is discharged. They also do rentals of battery operated stair climbers and portable patient lifts.

There are currently 43 operations of its kind in the U.S.

The company was launched at the depth of the recession by two out-of-work mortgage brokers, Keith Barnhardt and Luke Sampson, who saw opportunity an opportunity in 2008 as the population was aging. In the second half of the year, they brought on another partner: Dave Pazgan, who had been the president of their former mortgage company. Pazgan became 101 Mobility's president and CEO.

The fledgling company logged sales of $850,000 at the end of its first year. By 2012, sales had reached $7 million, swelling to just under $20 million in 2013, according to published reports.

Bath time

Scott Rosenbach, president and owner of Palatine-based BCI Acrylic Bath Systems Inc. bought the assets of Glendale Heights based-Luxury Bath, a manufacturer of modern, functional and stylish bath products. The purchase positions BCI to expand its network of dealers in the United States and Canada, and to offer separate product lines.

“Our strategic alliance with Luxury Bath complements our current brands and supports my vision to offer consumers and the residential remodeling community the industry's most extensive selection of innovative bath products,” Rosenbach said.

Luxury Bath started in 1991, and today is a nationwide leader in stylish, durable and maintenance-free acrylic bath fixtures. Through its strategic alliance with BCI brands, Luxury Bath will add 11 more colors and several styles to the product offerings, in addition to nearly 200 dealer locations throughout the United States and Canada. Luxury Bath's headquarters will remain in Glendale Heights and Mark Domanico will continue to manage operations as CEO.

Fall construction start

The village of Lisle is moving ahead with plans for the redevelopment project on the old village hall site. The village approved a redevelopment agreement with Marquette Real Estate Investments LLC. Marquette plans to construct a mixed-use planned unit development consisting of two, five story buildings connected by public space.

The ground floor will include 14,500 square feet of retail/commercial/restaurant space, public plaza areas and private amenities. The buildings will include 201 luxury rental apartments and 252 parking spaces. Street and associated landscape improvements will also be completed. Construction is expected to begin this fall, with an estimated completion time of December 2016.

Redeveloping the site was a strategic recommendation from the downtown Lisle master plan. The recent recession delayed new construction projects, but improving economic conditions prompted Marquette to submit their proposal for the site, which is located in downtown Lisle on Main Street, across the train station.