4-H Alumnus Entrepreneurship
Mel West pet project

November 2008

Located on the northeast side of Columbia, Mo., the Personal Energy Transportation (PET) center is a breeding place for hope. Its warehouse floor holds a wide expanse of cardboard boxes, each containing a small hand-powered vehicle ready to ship to parts of the world where households earn only a few hundred dollars a year. They are gifts ready to distribute to immobile people in places like Africa, India, Haiti, and Nicaragua, so that people who are unable to get themselves from place to place can experience basic human mobility, often for the first time.

The “PETs” are three-wheel carts propelled by hand cranks, fairly simple but as well-crafted as any State Fair 4-H project. They have been designed for people who are victims of land mines, who suffer from polio or other crippling diseases, or otherwise are totally unable to walk. The man behind this amazing PET project is Mel West, a retired agriculture teacher, Methodist minister, and former Missouri 4-H member. Through his ability to recognize need and opportunity, and his altruistic mission to give hope to the less fortunate of the world, Rev. West demonstrates some of the best traits of both an entrepreneur and 4-H member.

Rev. West grew up on a dairy farm in southwest Missouri during the Great Depression. Being unemployed and living under breadline conditions gave him an understanding of the experiences that many of the world’s people face in less prosperous conditions.

His worldwide philanthropic efforts began when he started collecting second-hand items such as clothing and typewriters and shipping them to Zaire. His partner in that effort pointed out a need that many people have that was not being met—a transportation device for those unable to walk. Many of these people struggle in their societies, unable to work or support themselves or take care of their own basic needs. Rev. West relished the opportunity that this challenge provided, and decided to help them. He set to work creating a prototype of the “Personal Energy Transportation” (or PET) vehicle in his garage.

The final product is lightweight, costs about $250 each to produce, and is durable under tough conditions. Production of the vehicles started small with the single PET in his garage, but has grown to large-scale production at 15 locations across the country, as well as international assembly sites in Mexico, South Africa, and Sierra Leone. In 2007 alone, nearly 1,000 PETs were assembled and shipped to overseas locations.

Amazingly, the PET organization is almost entirely operated by volunteers. Thousands of volunteer hours worldwide go into making parts, assembling and shipping units, and receiving and distributing PETs to people who need them. Rev. West stresses the value which retirees can bring to an enterprise. He sees their potential to make the world a better place and utilizes their assets as much as possible. The PET project is an ecumenical faith-based organization, but both its volunteers and the recipients hold diverse values. Rev. West can proudly point to a map noting 69 countries where the fruits of his labors have now been put to use, crossing cultural and geographic borders.
Rev. West could be classified as a social entrepreneur, an innovative thinker who has used his intellect and skills not to earn a profit, but to benefit society. These types of entrepreneurial projects often grow into non-profit organizations, such as PET International. In the case of the PET project, marketing is done primarily by word of mouth and funds are collected through individual donations and fundraisers.

Rev. West displays many of the qualities 4-H instills in people that lead them to become successful entrepreneurs. He and his wife of 63 years are both 4-H alumni. Looking back on his 4-H experience, Rev. West says, “It gave you a little status as a country kid…to be in a club and to become Treasurer or President…and to have mentors, 4-H leaders who cared about kids…4-H taught me to stand on my feet…it taught me early in life that I was somebody, that I could get up and face people and make a presentation and give a talk.”

It also taught him skills like record keeping that are valuable in virtually any kind of enterprise one decides to take on.

Summing it all up, Rev. West says, “The goal in life is to serve a cause greater than yourself. I cannot imagine doing anything else. 4-H starts you thinking about that.”

To see photos and read stories of how PET vehicles have touched lives around the world, visit http://www.giftofmobility.org/ 

If you know a 4-H alumnus who has applied their “Clover experience” to becoming a successful entrepreneur, please contact Adam Lofti at acl7f4@mizzou.edu  or 573-884-7929.