Helping vets, one scooter at a time

Darryl Hill spent more than 15 years designing nuclear weapons as a Northrop engineer. But in 2004, Hill retired from the defense giant and along with his wife, Darlene, traded Summerlin for Pahrump and a chance to be closer to his grandparents.

Hill quickly found himself using his engineering skills to fix motorcycles and scooters, though, and a part-time job turned into DCI Motors LLC, a small but profitable business selling scooters, dune buggies, ATVs, go-karts and dirt bikes.

Selling another company's scooters and parts wasn't enough, so Hill also started producing his own custom-designed scooters.

His business plan included researching, designing and manufacturing a scooter, and helping local veterans find employment and mobility.

Hill self-funded the development of the V2 scooter, a three-wheeled custom gasoline scooter designed for disabled veterans. He said the scooter gives veterans who are homebound the ability to travel on their own without relying on other transportation, such as taxis or vans supplied by the Veterans Administration.

"I retired from Northrop, but I've also been an entrepreneur at heart and wanted to do something different," Hill said. "So, I started doing this. The main goal is to get this out to as many disabled people and veterans as we can."

Hill said the idea to create the V2 came about after he nearly hit a man in his wheelchair while driving his car in Las Vegas.

"I thought this is the only transportation he has," Hill said. "Since I'm a design engineer, I began researching and sketching a design for a scooter. It took about a year, but this is what I designed and built."

V2 HAS UNIQUE FEATURES

The V2 is a three-wheeled unit that has a stabilization mechanism and an anti-lock brake system that can be equipped with a feature that makes braking easier for people with arthritis. It has a top speed of 47 miles per hour and has been approved by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The V2 allows its drivers to stow their wheelchair in the vehicle, and Hill said the cigarette lighter also acts as a USB port to power medical devices, such as oxygen tanks. It also comes with a high decibel alarm.

Its instrument panel has a liquid crystal display with oversized letters and numbers for those with vision problems, and the scooter also features torso supports that are designed to fit underneath a paralyzed driver's shoulder for stabilization. Hill has plans to introduce a V3 scooter next year, an upgraded model with a more powerful engine.

"We've priced the V2 at $4,100," Hill said. "Compare the cost to the $30,000 to $40,00 for a van conversion or $7,000 to $15,000 for a Hoveround wheelchair. There is nothing that is this economical on the market. We are saving them thousands of dollars."

So far, Hill has built 10 V2 scooters by himself, in a modest, brick-colored building on Blagg Road in Pahrump.

"We are building it for veterans and giving it to veterans to use," he said.

The success of the V2 will depend on whether the Veterans Administration awards a state contract to Hill and DCI Motors. Hill said he expects an answer as soon as next month.

"If we get a VA contract, then we should be able to move ahead with construction of a 10,000-square-foot factory on land adjacent to the current building," Hill said. "It would also mean 50 to 150 jobs. We are trying to create jobs in Pahrump. Especially jobs for veterans who need them."

The factory is expected to take nine months to complete at a cost of $1.2 million. Hill said DCI Motors has all the approvals and plans completed, and is looking for financing. He would like to do a joint venture with the Veterans Administration.

"There are plenty of veterans in this town that love the vehicle," Hill said. "I get 10 to 20 calls a day on the V2. So far, we've sold five scooters."

CREATING JOBS IN NEVADA

On a recent morning, Paul Miller, a retired information officer with the U.S. Air Force, visited DCI Motors to look into buying a V2. Miller, 64, relies on the senior van or rides from the VA in Pahrump to take him to the grocery store or run various errands.

"The other day, I had to use a Radio Flyer red wagon I own to haul my laundry two-and-a-half blocks to the laundromat," said Miller, a disabled veteran. "I'm still in pain because of that walk. This scooter has a nice, big rack allowing me to haul my groceries or laundry."

Miller, who is still contemplating a purchase of the V2, said a scooter would help make him independent.

"Right now, I have to call the senior van or the VA van if I want to go out," he said. "I never know when they are going to show up. It's a hassle. It's about independence and not being trapped at home."

Hill said he has reached out to Gov. Brian Sandoval's office, which urged him to move forward with the project as a way to create jobs in recession-battered Pahrump.

He'd also like to be part of the growing number of Nevada exporters in the global market. He's looking into exporting the V2 scooter to Brazil and Mexico since there are wounded veterans in every country with the same problems U.S. veterans face every day.

Nevada exports increased 35 percent in the first nine months of the year, as manufacturing, agriculture and mining sold more goods to foreign countries. Exports from the Silver State totaled $8 billion last year, a significant increase from the $1.5 billion in 2001, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.

But state officials are looking to small businesses such as DCI Motors to help increase and diversify the number of goods exported. The state's largest export category is primary metal manufactures, which accounted for $3.7 billion in 2011.

"Nevada as a state has led the nation in export growth for quite a long time, even during the recession," said Steve Hill, director of the of the governor's Office of Economic Development. "The mining industry has been driving the numbers on a state level."

Hill said that the state is focusing on assisting DCI Motors and other businesses looking to export their goods worldwide, and that OED has the ability to connect companies with government officials and trade missions overseas.

"The recession and what drove growth in the past is not going to be enough to drive the recovery," Hill said. "The recession changed the entire conversation about economic development. Everyone's attention is focused on trying to improve the economy right now."

Contact reporter Chris Sieroty at csieroty @reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @sierotyfeatures on Twitter.