It's been awhile since we've featured a member of our dealer network. Today, we want to highlight North Central Ambulance Sales and Service. North Central is located at 18448 County Road 9 in Lester Prairie, Minnesota. They cover counties in northern/eastern Iowa and northern Illinois, along with the states of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. They are also a Braun Authorized Service Center and Remount Facility.

North Central Ambulance Sales and Service was founded in 1964. Today, they are the upper Midwest's largest emergency vehicle dealership. They are members of Ford's Qualified Vehicle Modifier program, Minnesota's Alliance of Automotive Service Providers, the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence and the National Truck Equipment Association. They are also a Certified Emergency Vehicle Technician and PPG Authorized Collision Repair Facility.

Before selling emergency vehicles, North Central Ambulances Sales and Service was a repair facility. They performed preventative maintenance and other repairs for ambulance fleets in their area. Some of their customers operated Braun ambulances. While servicing these units in the 1980s, North Central developed a relationship with Braun. They appreciated the attention to serviceability, along with the quality and durability their customers enjoyed operating Braun fleets. This attention to quality, design and durability is initially what attracted them to the Braun brand.

When North Central branched out and began selling emergency vehicles 24 years ago, one of the first lines they carried was Braun. Today, their knowledgeable and dedicated sales staff is committed to finding the perfect emergency vehicle to meet their customers' needs and budget. Andy Heimerl covers Wisconsin. Steve Larson calls on Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota and South Dakota. Bob Baxa oversees Illinois. Owner, Fred Pawelk serves the Minneapolis/St.Paul area and other select accounts.

The dealership truly enjoys being part of the Braun family - and we love that they are! The engineering, integrity of the process, construction and safety of the module, remountability and people are all factors that play into their decision to continue to carry and service the brand. When asked what their favorite Braun innovation or feature is, they quickly say the SolidBody™ Construction. "The SolidBody™ Construction offers safety to our customers and their customers - the patients. SolidBody™ is unique to the industry. All other manufacturers' methods of construction are very similar, with the use of extrusions, tapes, glues, etc. The engineering behind the SolidBody™ provides a safety factor that no one in the industry can match. If I were to ride in an ambulance or have a loved one transported in one, I would feel much more comfortable in a Braun," says owner, Fred Pawelk.

North Central Ambulance Sales & Service was recently honored at our Annual Awards Reception. The dealership received a Gold Dealer Award and Sales Performance Award. They were also highlighted with the Most Sales in A Year and the Best Sales Presentation.

To learn more about the dealership, visit their website at www.NorthCentralAmbulance.com or call 320-395-2911. They will also have representatives on hand at the upcoming EMS shows: Iowa EMS Association, South Dakota EMS Association, Arrowhead EMS Association and Wisconsin EMS Association.