Summary
On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell was joined by Rob Mahler, founder and lead tech for Naz-T’s FloaT Shop, a local Onewheel rental and repair shop that specializes in repairing and customizing PEV vehicles. James and Rob talked about the vision, challenges, and future of building Naz-T’s FloaT Shop, the development of NWA, and the growth of Onewheels.
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Show Notes:
(1:11) Introducing Rob Mahler
(1:27) A Passion for Onewheels
(4:11) About Naz-T’s FloaT Shop
(7:18) The Growth of Onewheels
(9:22) About FloatLife Fest
(13:23) Challenges with Building Naz-T’s FloaT Shop
(15:55) Development in NWA over the Years
(22:08) Mountain Biking Capital of the World
(24:54) Future of Naz-T’s FloaT Shop
(34:59) Most Important Lesson Learned
(37:59) Closing Thoughts
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‍Links
JAMES BELL‍‍
ROB MAHLER
NAZ-T’S FLOAT SHOP
FLOATLIFE FEST

Quotes
“They say this is my stomping ground. I wanna show you around so you can connect with us at any time. If you come to town to rent one, they’ll link up with you and they’ll go ride with you. They just want to ride, so they’ll show you around town and the whole piece.” – Rob Mahler, (8:41)

“It started out of a need to do certain things, but then we needed to do certain things for others. So we get paid for a service then go buy some inventory that we might need. So the greatest challenge is keeping inventory on hand so that we can get it out to the customers fast.” – Rob Mahler, (13:28)

“…we’ve taken the time to really build toward quality of life and quality of place for the last 15 years, which really helped us out during the pandemic because we were positioned to take in all those people that wanted to leave places like San Francisco and said ‘I’m done and I’m not going back.’” – James Bell, (24:00)‍‍
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Dreaming Big with Naz-T’s FloaT Shop
On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell was joined by Rob Mahler, founder and lead tech for Naz-T’s FloaT Shop, a local Onewheel rental and repair shop that specializes in repairing and customizing PEV vehicles. James and Rob talked about the vision, challenges, and future of building Naz-T’s FloaT Shop, the development of NWA, and the growth of Onewheels. 
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About Naz-T’s FloaT Shop
At the moment, Naz-T’s FloaT Shop is focusing on rentals with their mission to get everyone on a Onewheel. Part of their strategy is to attend community events like First Friday to demo Onewheels and let people try them for free. Onewheels are a big conversation starter to begin with, and Rob loves being flagged down on the sidewalk or in a parking lot to be asked for a tutorial on how the Onewheel works and how to ride it. Along with rentals, Naz-T’s FloaT Shop also services Onewheels and provides a local option for Onewheel repair because most companies want you to send the Onewheel back to them for maintenance or fixing. As a result of this, the consumer is not able to get back on their Onewheel quickly.
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Naz-T’s FloaT Shop offers services ranging from a tire repair to a battery change, and they are not limited to only Onewheels. Any personal electric vehicle (PEV), like e-bikes, can be brought into Naz-T’s FloaT Shop for repair or even customization. Since their start, Naz-T’s FloaT Shop has only become more and more available to the community and have been able to get customers excited about new things that are coming out. For their future plans, Naz-T’s FloaT Shop is dreaming big. Short term, they want to host their own festival, and in the long term, they would love to develop a Onewheel wonderland where people can come and train with their Onewheels on a variety of obstacles.
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The Growth of Onewheels and Diversity in NWA
‍The sport of riding Onewheels is growing at an exponential rate, especially here in Arkansas due to the abundance of trails and their continued construction. True to Bentonville form, people are coming from all corners to ride the bike trails, and some people are looking to something a bit different and extreme while they’re here. NWA has become a mecca for all things that are on wheels that can be ridden on trails because of the vast amount of trails and the welcoming community that encourages anyone, no matter how experienced, to branch out and try the trails.

One factor that contributes to the growth of Onewheels in Bentonville, and the outdoor industry as a whole, is that the population—and diversity within the population—has exploded. There is so much natural and positive growth happening that isn’t forced, and it makes NWA the perfect environment for new ideas to be developed organically. Around 62% of people who reside in Bentonville alone were not born in the state of Arkansas. They have come here from all over and brought their cultures, ideas, and businesses here, which continues to foster a community that encourages innovation and inclusivity. With its mix of Fortune 500 companies and medium-to-small businesses, NWA is not only an ideal place to come to play, but an ideal place to live. It’s imperative that Bentonville keep up this spirit of prosperity because that’s how the area will stay competitive and continue to draw in people from all different places and walks of life.

“…we’ve taken the time to really build toward quality of life and quality of place for the last 15 years, which really helped us out during the pandemic because we were positioned to take in all those people that wanted to leave places like San Francisco and said ‘I’m done and I’m not going back.’” – James Bell, (24:00)
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Get Connected!
‍Thanks for tuning in to this episode of The Bentonville Beacon! Join us weekly for more stories from entrepreneurs and business leaders who are making a positive impact on Bentonville’s culture, community, and lifestyle. Don’t forget, Bentonville is a place where you can have more of what you want and less of what you don’t!