SuperLifts Caters to Affluent Gear Heads

For the upscale homebuyer, a two-story, three-car garage may not be enough. Many classic car aficionados have more toys than space to store them.
But if the garage ceiling is high enough, there’s a solution.
Long the envy of shade tree mechanics, a hydraulic mechanism able to lift a car overhead to allow access for service or just storage is available to the masses.
SuperLifts, based in Aurora, Mo., (about 80 miles northeast of Bella Vista) manufactures non-industrial car lifts and lift accessories.
Steve Dawson, director of operations for SuperLifts, said the company sells about 2,500 lifts per year that range from about $2,000 to $10,000 for a display model tricked out in chrome accessories.
At the low end, that would generate $5 million per year in revenue.
Lifts are built of all American steel and built to order, so lead time is usually between three and six weeks, he said. The company ships them directly or can have them installed anywhere in the country.
Average weight of a lift is about 1,600 pounds, Dawson said.
The company makes about 25 different models to meet various needs from motorcycle storage to 50,000-pound trucks.
But the most popular is the SJ-7000, which has four posts and can support a 7,000-pound automobile.
A lift doesn’t need to be bolted to the floor and, depending on the cars and garage, allows enough space to park a second auto under it.
Steve and Pam Welch of Fayetteville own an SJ-7000 in the middle bay of their three-car garage.
Steve Welch is partially disabled and Pam Welch owns Broyles Mortgage of Fayetteville.
He said he has no problems getting either of the couple’s two Dodge Vipers or his H2 Hummer on the lift.
The model is even available with casters so the lift can be rolled out of the way for garage maintenance. Welch said they’re helpful when he wants to switch bays.
Dawson said ceiling height for an SJ-7000 would be about 9.5 feet, and the height of the cars would come into play.
A newer model is gaining popularity, Dawson said. A single-post lift with a 4,000-pound capacity is popular with smaller sports car enthusiasts, but the minimum ceiling height is 12 feet.
Dawson said the market for lifts by non-commercial users has increased quite a bit over the years.
He’s sold several SuperLifts to NASCAR drivers and athletes, he said.
“The majority of the hobbyists use them for car storage,” Dawson said. What car does he hear about most that’s stored on a SuperLift? Dawson said many lifts are purchased to store Ferraris.