Company History
The company was started by Mike Norman, Managing Director and inventor. The inspiration came some years ago, while he was watching a television programme which aimed to raise money to buy a four-wheel drive ambulance for use in Africa. With his experience and love of motorcycles he felt that he could produce a similar, yet more versatile product for a fraction of the cost. Thus the Ranger LifeCycle was born.
After much development and two years of successful trials in Zimbabwe, Mike's invention won the coveted Worldaware Shell Technology Award for Development in 1999. As a direct result of winning this award, Robert Deacon Elliott brought the project to the attention of HRH Prince Bandar Bin Sultan. Prince Bandar immediately saw The Ranger LifeCycle as a most effective means of instantly and sustainably enhancing the lives of many of the people who were less fortunate than us, and offered his full support and sponsorship. On hearing of the project former President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, endorsed the humanitarian benefits of The Ranger LifeCycle by becoming a Patron.
Timeline
1999 – Mike Norman awarded Shell World Aware Award
2000 – HRH Prince Bandar and Nelson Mandela become supporters
2001 – First eRanger Ambulances delivered to Sierra Leone and Malawi
2002 – Oliver Tambo Municipality RSA order 17 eRanger vehicles
2003 – AIDC certification
2004 – Manufacturing switched to new South Africa plant
2005 – Nestle roll out 160 ice cream units - OASIS gains UK WRC approval, first 10 shipped to Malawi
2006 – Education and Ambulance units deployed in Afghanistan
2006 – Winner of the Pan African Health Award
2007 – Ambulance incorporated into UN Maternal Road Map
2008 - Roshan pilot, public call office starts
2009 - UNICEF Long Term Agreement ( LTA) signed - 69 units shipped so far
2010 - Tanzania order 420 eRanger ambulances, 21 UN OPS