In 1981 Gil Blais, a pharmaceutical sales representative, invented an organizational box to help large animal veterinarians on their farm calls. The boxes kept gear and medicines organized and accessible. 

The invention took off, and Blais quit his job to manufacture mobile units for large animal, mostly equine, veterinarians. Years and continued innovation would bring additional expansions: first by focusing on solutions for small animal veterinarians, then by demands for sturdy vehicles to provide on-location dental and medical services.   

Today, La Boit Specialty Vehicles is recognized as a leader in mobile veterinary, dental and medical clinic manufacturing. The company also builds blood donation and emergency response units, all from the chassis up, right here in Gahanna.  

David Mayhew is the company’s Chief Operating Officer.  

"We design and hand build our vehicles with attention to detail, quality, and safety," says Mayhew. "Each unit comes with the unique technologies and capabilities identified by the customer.”  

Vehicles take an average of 2 ½ months to complete and range from $250,000 - $500,000+ and are anywhere from 24 to 40 feet in length. While Mayhew estimates that 8 out of every 10 U.S. orders are for mobile vet clinics, orders for medical clinics have been growing.  

“Since Covid….the market has changed, making it more economical to build medical and blood bank clinics,” observed Mayhew. “We expect medical to take more and more of the share of overall business.”  

La Boit produces:

• Veterinary units can include full surgery suites, dentistry, and X-ray machines. 

• Spay/neuter and pet adoption clinics extend services and increase adoption. Some even include pet-viewing windows! 

• Medical and dental clinics provide much-needed care to people in underserved communities.  

• Bloodmobiles collect blood safely and efficiently, and to transport the units to where they are needed. 

• Emergency response vehicles enable coordinated responses  to major incidents. Command vehicles are equipped with advanced communication and surveillance technology.

Providing Careers in Gahanna 

With nearly 85 skilled employees delivering 35 to 50 specialty vehicles annually, La Boit is an important employer in Gahanna. Electricians, cabinetmakers, welders, production and assembly workers, graphic designers, and salespeople enjoy meaningful work, job security, and a collegial environment. La Boit trains internally and can be a great fit for people looking for well-paying careers that value workmanship and customer service.  
 
La Boit is well-positioned for continued growth in Gahanna. The company has a strong reputation for quality and innovation and a loyal customer base, both domestically and internationally. Each vehicle manufactured in Gahanna helps individual business owners, animals, and people throughout the U.S. and beyond. 

“We’re never prouder of what we do than when a customer comes to pick up their vehicle….” admitted Mayhew. We’ve had customers tear up seeing their vision, sometimes their entire business, made real. It’s much more than a transaction. We take a picture of every vehicle we deliver and share in the celebration.”