David Ramsey stands beside one of the 3 Guys Transport vehicles. The new business, based in Scott County, provides non-emergency medical transportation for those in need and was the recent recipient of a VCEDA Seed Capital Matching Grant.
DUFFIELD, VA – August 7, 2018 – Assisting others to have the transportation they need to get to doctor’s appointments, to and from the hospital, to dialysis appointments, or even a trip to the pharmacy are all part of the services offered by 3 Guys Transport in Scott County.
The Duffield-based 3 Guys Transport was the recipient of a $10,000 Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority (VCEDA) Seed Capital Matching Grant which owner David Ramsey said helped toward the purchase of vehicles needed to operate the business.
“VCEDA was pleased to be able to assist 3 Guys Transport to build their new business,” said VCEDA Executive Director/General Counsel Jonathan Belcher. “Helping new businesses to grow and expand and to provide additional jobs in the VCEDA region is what the seed capital matching grant fund is tailored to do.”
Ramsey said each vehicle in the fleet translates into another job for a new driver and the ability to serve the needs of more clients. Currently, the company employs six full-time employees.
The idea to form the company came about when Ramsey and Bo Tackett, of Keokee, began talking about people in need who were not in a position to transport themselves to doctor’s appointments. They were joined by fellow owners Brandon O’Quinn and Ronnie Deel and 3 Guys Transport was formed in April 2017. Six months later in October 2017, the doors to 3 Guys Transport were opened. The business is headquartered in leased space in the Pioneer Center Business Incubator in Duffield.
Currently, 3 Guys Transport has contracts with four different companies to provide non-emergency medical transport and Ramsey said they are in talks with others.
Plans for the future call for the addition of more vehicles and drivers and ultimately, Ramsey said it is hoped the business will employ 21.
“We work with insurance companies and we have standing orders for some clients we take to places every day,” Ramsey said. “We have about 10 to 12 clients we provide transport for each day to a day support program.”
Ramsey estimated he and other drivers log 2,000 to 3,000 miles weekly in transporting clients, some of whom have medical appointments at hospitals outside the region, including UVA Medical Center in Charlottesville, Va.; Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina; as well as hospitals in Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Nashville, Tenn.; and Pittsburgh, Penn.
“We take care of transportation needs in 13 counties, the city of Norton, Bristol and Gate City,” Ramsey said. “We meet some interesting people. Our number one job is to get from point A to point B, but one of the things we become is good listeners. Sometimes we are the first person they talk to after they get bad news.”
Ramsey said through the process of meeting new people and transporting them to their destinations, he and other drivers have realized how lucky they are and how blessed they are to be in a position to help others in their times of need.
“This is not a 9 to 5 job,” Ramsey said. “Sometimes it’s a leave at 2 a.m. kind of job to get a client to a medical appointment at 9 a.m. They can sleep while we drive.”
About Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority and Virginia’s e-Region: The Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority, created by the Virginia General Assembly in 1988 to enhance and diversify the region’s economy and help create jobs, markets Virginia’s e-Region and its focus on electronic information technology, energy, education, emerging technologies, and entrepreneurship. VCEDA is a unique economic development organization that manages funds for economic development projects from a percentage of the coal and natural gas severance taxes paid by coal and natural gas companies that operate in the region. Located in southwestern Virginia, the region includes Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Tazewell, and Wise counties and the City of Norton. www.vceda.us or www.e-Region.org.
About the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority Seed Capital Matching Grant Fund: VCEDA region for-profit businesses one year and under with less than 10 full-time employees are eligible to apply for dollar-for-dollar matching grants up to $10,000 from the VCEDA Seed Capital Matching Fund. Applicants work with the Small Business Development Centers at Mountain Empire and Southwest Virginia community colleges to prepare the applications to VCEDA that include detailed business and financial plans. Businesses must be located in or plan to operate in the VCEDA region in southwestern Virginia that includes Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Tazewell, and Wise counties and the City of Norton.