It’s a bit of a dream when a new business opens and then turns around and donates its earnings to the local homeless and hungry. But that dream is coming true for Weber County thanks to Alan Hall and his new business, Ornata Motors.
Hall, a successful entrepreneur, always dreamed of owning a roadster automobile. But as a teenager he didn’t have the financial means to get his hands on one. Now that he can own one, he set about to make it happen. He felt driving a convertible roadster would be a “nice break” in his busy lifestyle. Hall did much research to put together something that wasn’t outlandishly expensive, but what was set to his taste. With the help of a local mechanic, Hall built the car of his dreams.
As his car was coming together, he had an idea: “I’m an entrepreneur at heart. So, I just started thinking, ‘What if other people feel the same way I do about driving a car like this?’” Hall said. So, he did some market research, and there was interest.
He put a team together to make other people’s dreams of driving a beautiful, new sports car, with that old-time look and feel, a reality. Ford Motor builds the engine, breaks, transmission and interior. Then it is assembled locally by master mechanics. Right now, Ornata takes the parts to the mechanics, but in the near future, Hall plans to open a large facility at the Business Depot Ogden (BDO) where all the manufacturing will take place. “I want to keep this business local and we have the perfect spot to do it at BDO,” Hall said.
They are currently working on 12 cars and there are 150 more interested buyers.
As for the team behind Ornata, Hall has assembled quality local employees that he knows will perform well. One of those is Jenny Whelan. Whelan lives in South Ogden and is the Vice President of Sales. She has only been with Ornata for a few weeks but is excited for the future. She is a proud graduate of Weber State University and has three children. Hall is excited to see what she will do with the company. Michael Westover is the Chief Revenue Officer and also brings some exciting experience and ideas to the company.
Hall looks forward to seeing the success of the company because his product is unique. “Where do you go to get a car like this?” he asked. “To get all these parts by yourself and try to put a custom car together would take a very long time,” Hall said. This way, drivers get a brand-new engine and the look of a 1960s car in much less time and with great service.
But that’s not the best part. Hall is always interested in growing business in his home – Weber County – but he is also interested in helping the less fortunate. “We will help the economy grow with a global business, providing jobs, most notably manufacturing jobs, which fits with the model of the city,” Hall said. He plans to use this new generated wealth to give back to the community. The earnings of the company will go straight into the Alan and Jeanne Hall Foundation – a nonprofit that helps clothe, feed and house those in need. Hall’s wife, Jeanne Hall, runs the foundation and will oversee disbursement of the funds. The theme of the Hall Foundation is, “No poor among us.” Hall said Ornata Motors is in line with that goal.
As for the cars, there are 12 available colors, but if someone wants a pink car, he’s sure they could make it happen, Hall said with a laugh. Every part of each car needs will be exactly what the customer wants. As such, attention to detail in vitally important. Hall got that attention to detail in his car, a beautiful candy apple red, which he is now driving. “It’s sort of a dream come true. It’s like I’m 18 again.”
