Improving Lives Through Mobility®
In 1968 in Bridgeport, Michigan, a young a man was
working as a plumbing and heating contractor when
a family member began to lose their mobility due to
Multiple Sclerosis. Witnessing the loss of independence,
he worked during the evenings to design a unique form
of mobility, this led Al Thieme to invent the first
power-operated vehicle/scooter – the Amigo.
About Us
Named the Amigo for being a “friendly wheelchair,” the product’s popularity quickly grew after people saw the independence it provided. Consequently, Amigo Mobility International, Inc. was founded and an entire industry was born. By 1970, Amigo sold the first electric shopping cart to a grocery store. Since then, motorized shopping carts can be found in nearly every retail store to assist customers with walking difficulties.
The company has expanded its operations from Thieme’s garage and moved across the street to its current headquarters in Bridgeport, Mich. where all Amigos continue to be manufactured.
To learn more about Amigo Mobility, please visit www.myamigo.com. Please click here for a video of Beth Thieme talking about Amigo.
Awards and Certifications
- 1974 Distinguished Service Award from the MS Society
- 1981 Al Thieme was awarded the Michigan Small Business Person of the Year
- 1981 Al Thieme was awarded United States Small Business Person of the Year
- 1982 recognized on the Inc. 500 list, no. 212
- 1992 Michigan New Product Award
- 2007 Women’s Business Enterprise National Council certified (WBENC)
- 2008 Green Business Certified
- 2009 Beth Thieme was named a Top Women in Grocery
- 2009 Best of the Best Michigan Business in Manufacturing
- 2009 Economic Excellence Award in the Great Lakes Bay region
- 2009 recognized on the Inc. 5000 list, no. 2,717
- 2010 recognized on the Inc. 5000 list, no. 3,450. No. 111 in the manufacturing industry and no. 84 of Michigan companies.
