About Beach Mobility Rentals
How It All Began
Hi, I’m Greg, and this is the story behind Beach Mobility. On trips to the East Coast of Florida in 2014 and 2015 to scout potential hotel and resort ownership of the Nomad powered beach wheelchair, I had significant contact with managers, owners, and operators of beachfront properties as far South as Ft. Pierce Florida, and as far North as Jacksonville FL. I met with small business owners who were already established as beach equipment operators, although those owners specialized in products for able-bodied beachgoers. The niche opportunity was clear: there’s a growing contingent of people with special needs, and they were being ignored by nearly every category visited.
On an early May 2015 afternoon, I was in Flagler Beach FL, on A1A, headed back towards the panhandle and the Gulf Coast. Some people in town told me I should visit a campground nearby and speak to the owner, a man in his mid 60’s. I parked, met with him, and proudly showed off the Nomad (the green one you see in many photos). As we discussed the great access he had to the sand from his campground property, he commented: “While this is a very nice piece of equipment, and I’m sure it works well, I also believe if someone can’t get on the beach on their own, they don’t deserve to go to the beach. You see, just as Michael Jackson is a black man, he could not change his skin color to white and become white, and it’s the same for people who cannot walk onto the beach.” Needless to say, I was floored, but I maintained composure. I handed him a brochure which included my phone number, and graciously offered that if I could ever be of service to him in the future, he could count on me. This was the high road God expected me to stay on.
The Rest of the Story
Prior to that moment, I had only considered leasing the Nomad to resorts and small rental companies. But with the consistent “no thanks” I was getting from everyone I had met, I realized this was much more than leasing a single type of vehicle. This man just confirmed my greatest fear. People simply didn’t care about the special needs community. As I began my journey northbound on A1A, I called my attorney back in my home city, and told him the story of what happened. He replied “Greg, you just met the equivalent of my father. Old Indian men are set in their ways, horribly racist and bigoted, just as my father disapproved of my becoming an attorney rather than a doctor or engineer, as is the “norm” in India. Sadly, this is the way of many.” I asked him to begin drafting what would become the articles of incorporation to start a rental business in this very area of Florida. The calling couldn’t be any clearer. The articles were filed with the state in September 2015, and on the morning of October 1, 2015, I crossed the state line with all of my belongings in the back of a U-Haul to begin a wonderful new life!
Scooters for Every Step of the Journey
Over the years, my client base began seeking mobility scooters to supplement their beach vacations. I slowly added street-use portable mobility scooters, and that fleet has grown tremendously, as has the rental coverage area. We provide these scooters to towns like St. Augustine where walking is 85% of the visit to the historic section. These are used for every event held at the Daytona International Speedway. Visitors to Embry Riddle, Bethune Cookman, and Daytona State use the scooters to attend graduations and other school functions. People take them to events out of town where scooters are vital for many.
A Legacy of Service and Faith
As this rental fleet grew, so did the number of clients. A very “good problem to have” is the growth of a company, and while I welcomed it, I was thrown a curveball in December 2019. God had a new plan for me, and I suffered a brainstem stroke. While it should have rendered me brain-dead before my body hit the floor, here I am typing this. I was severely sidelined for a year, but grew through it, and awakened in my life with a new perspective to add to my already-established servant's heart. Shortly following, my mother passed from her breast cancer, and I was left with a realization that I’m not going to live forever either, and I nearly gave my mother her worst nightmare--to outlive her child! My wife and I sold the house, we packed up her kids and the dog in a large RV, and hit the road while the world was shutting down due to a plandemic.
After a little over a year on the road, we wound up right back where we started and continued in daily life. My daughter in Texas soon had a baby, my grandson, so things started to come into sharper perspective for me. I knew I had to see this grandson more often, and 1100 miles away made travel difficult. I began seeking a new owner to whom I could pass the torch of Beach Mobility. This began with prayer, and a lot of that. God knew that I knew in my heart this wouldn’t be simple, and it would be a paradigm shift in my daily focus. Just as I had to be in prayer about who my child would marry, wondering if the husband would take care of my girl just as I had, the same notion hit me for BMR. This was a 10yr old baby, a legacy, and I couldn’t just “sell” it. This was going to require finding just the right person.
Meet Nanette!
On the morning of May 17, 2025, something amazing happened. I was delivering a set of chairs to the Oceans of Hope adaptive surfing event in New Smyrna. After unloading, a very nice lady named Nanette approached me to discuss this industry. She is a physical therapist and was there on that morning to volunteer for her first event. I told her I was actively seeking someone with my heart to carry the torch. She then told me she woke that morning, and found herself in tears, asking God to let her know what this nagging feeling of "there is something more for you" truly was. A couple of hours later, she and I were discussing the sale of the company. As they say, "the rest is history." I can't presume every person reading this believes in God, or doesn't believe in the same God we do, but I can absolutely tell you, this was God at work. This company provides too valuable a service to others. God knows this, and He made sure the torch would continue to shine brightly, and for a long time. Those of you with children, especially daughters, understand my thought process in this. I've built a legacy, and I'm not going to marry my daughter off to just anyone. They have to love and care for my child as I would, or they don't get my blessing. I am proud to announce that Nanette Peterson will be taking over the precious care of each of you and all the new clients to come.
Honored to Have Served You
Except for the new voice answering the phone, you’d never know the change took place. She has God in her heart, a dedication to serving others, and the ability to move BMR into the next phase of growth. I proudly pass this torch to her, and I pray you all give her the same kindness you gave me! Thank you for all the wonderful words of praise, the kindness you’ve showed me, the hugs, smiles, and letters. Serving you was an honor, and it truly is the greatest chapter of my life. Farewell, and be great to Nanette, please!