Ford picks the five winners of its Connect with Connect contest and each one will receive a customized Transit Connect.
Connect with Connect
All right, we know it’s probably just a shameless marketing ploy on the part of Ford, but the results are pretty cool. Besides, when those of us here at LotPro.com first saw the Transit Connect van at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show, we were impressed with its size, functionality and gas mileage.
To help promote the new compact van, Ford came up with the “Connect with Connect” contest. Almost 1,000 small business owners from around the U.S. answered questions on how they envisioned the van could be used to help them improve their day-to-day operations as well as any limitations of their current vehicles. After sifting through this information, Ford picked 5 small-business owners who will receive their new customized vans at this year’s Chicago Auto Show.
And the winners are…
It’s a dogs life
Circle Tail, Inc., Pleasant Plain, Ohio
Founded in 1997 by Marlys Staley, Circle Tail is a nonprofit organization that provides assistance dogs to people with mobility, hearing, neurological and psychiatric disabilities – at no cost to the individual. Jen Kiblinger, the company vice-president, spends much of her time transporting canines in airline-type containers, as well as the myriad leashes, toys and dog food that accompany them. “The less money that goes to gas, the more that literally goes to the dogs,” Kiblinger wrote in her essay.
Old Man River
Ten Mile Creek Kayak, Frisco, Colorado
Matthew Wade, owner of Ten Mile Creek Kayak, only found out about the contest on the last day. Having started the business only last May, offers outdoor enthusiasts all they need to get on the water. According to Matt, “My van isn’t designed to carry passengers and cargo and I’m not about to take chances and play ‘what if.’ This way I can transport all the gear and the customers safely.”
Cleaning Up
The Maid Pros, Woodbury, New York
Omar Herrera is the owner of a start-up business that specializes in cleaning residential homes. For Herrera, winning the contest meant that he was that much closer to fulfilling his plans for expanding the business. “I’m using my own vehicle now, and it’s my only source of getting around,” Herrera said. “I have to fit in all my cleaning solutions, all my tools, and then I have to unload it every night. I wanted a van, but not too big of a van – the Transit Connect is perfect.”
That’s My Baby
Boo Boo Busters, Ladera Ranch, California
Kimberlee Mitchell, owner of Boo Boo busters is on a crusade to make the world safe for babies – one house at a time. “Since I founded Boo Boo Busters in 2002, we’ve baby proofed hundreds of thousands of homes in L.A., Orange and San Diego counties,” she said. For Kimberlee, the Transit Connect will serve as a mobile warehouse with everything from safety gates to Plexiglas sheets.
A Company with Heart
Dummies on the Run, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Jerry Buffman is the owner of Dummies on the Run, an Ann Arbor Michigan-based company that specializes in CPR training. Most of my classes are about 20 students, so I’m packing 20 dummies right there. And if I’m teaching infant CPR, that’s two dummies – an infant and adult – per person. I walk in that room with so many bags hanging off me I look like a pack horse. But that’s OK.”
Vans Unveiled in Chicago
As we stated earlier, all five customized Transit Connect vans will be unveiled at the 2009 Chicago Auto Show, so stay tuned for a full report with pictures.
