Business Spotlight: Enhanced Hearing Center - Couple listens to sounds of success

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When Rex McGee and his wife Corrina started Enhanced Hearing Center in 1999, they took a leap of faith. The couple, who have five children, prayed their business would be a success. |ret||ret||tab|

Rex McGee had four years of experience in the industry and knew things might be a little slow at first. His goal for the first month was to sell three hearing aids. Instead, he sold nine, and business has been on the upswing ever since.|ret||ret||tab|

"We've grown by more than 125 percent every year since we've opened," said McGee. "We don't just serve the Springfield market, either. We've drawn customers from all over the country. We've had people come here from Georgia, Louisiana, Utah, California, New York, Texas, Illinois,Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas."|ret||ret||tab|

Many of these customers hear about Enhanced Hearing Center from friends or family members. Others learn about the company through its Web site at |bold_on|www.enhancedhearingcenter|bold_on|.com.|ret||ret||tab|

McGee, who is a Missouri- licensed, board-certified hearing instrument specialist, offers free hearing exams and makes custom-built hearing aids on-site. He said the whole process usually takes about three hours.|ret||ret||tab|

"Our hearing aids cost about one-half as much as those made by national manufacturers," he said. |ret||ret||tab|

"Because our customers go factory-direct through me, I'm able to pass along the savings. Essentially, what I've done is cut out the middle man."|ret||ret||tab|

McGee said a few competitors have been critical of his manufacturing methods. How-ever, McGee said his manufacturing methods don't differ from those of major national manufacturers, and the components used to make each hearing aid are of the highest quality. |ret||ret||tab|

"A manufacturer somewhere will be making your hearing aid," he said. "You might as well get it done here because it's a lot faster. Usually, it takes about two weeks to get a hearing aid. Here, the whole process takes about three hours, and if you have problems down the road, the hearing aid doesn't have to be sent off. We can fix it here."|ret||ret||tab|

Currently, Enhanced Hearing Center uses a variety of hearing aid technology from basic to fully digital. Hearing aids are available in a variety of styles. Some hearing aids, such as those worn completely inside the ear canal, are virtually undetectable. Other hearing aids, such as the "full shell," are more noticeable.|ret||ret||tab|

Each hearing aid comes with a one-year warranty. In addition, Enhanced Hearing Center offers free adjustments, free cleanings, and repairs most brands and models of hearing aids.|ret||ret||tab|

During the first year En-hanced Hearing Center was in business, Rex McGee handled all of these tasks alone. The company expanded rapidly, however, and by 2000, he needed help. He asked his brother Rob McGee to join the company. Rob McGee, who is studying to become a board-certified hearing instrument specialist, now serves as the company's jack-of-all-trades.|ret||ret||tab|

"It was hard because I needed help, but at the same time, I wanted to hire someone that I knew I could trust," said Rex McGee. "I feel very fortunate to work with someone who shares my morals and shows such dedication to our customers."|ret||ret||tab|

Enhanced Hearing Center's customers range in age from 21 to 97, said Rex McGee. Many of these customers live in the Springfield area. However, an increasing number of customers are from out of state. |ret||ret||tab|

"I had one customer who flew to Springfield, met with me, shopped at Bass Pro Shops, came back and picked up his new hearing aids and then flew back home, and he told me he still saved hundreds of dollars," said Rex McGee. |ret||ret||tab|

Many out-of-state customers have inquired if there is another Enhanced Hearing Center location in their area. However, McGee said if he does open another location, it most likely will be in Springfield. |ret||ret||tab|

"I really care about my customers, and I want to make sure that they get the best quality service possible, no matter what store they go to," he said. "I'm not sure I could guarantee that if I had multiple stores in different states."|ret||ret||tab|

Both of the McGees are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and they said their religious principles guide the way they conduct business at Enhanced Hearing Center. Although the two are proud of how quickly the company has grown, they said they don't measure their success strictly in terms of dollars and cents.|ret||ret||tab|

"A person will walk in here in a silent world and walk out three hours later hearing better," said Rex McGee. "It's im-mensely satisfying knowing that the work I do is helping to improve the quality of somebody's life."|ret||ret||tab|

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