Dr. Randy Norris demonstrates his massage techniques on staff member Susan Kempler at the Nu-Life Chiropractic and Health Care Center. After working in Battle Ground for 40 years, Norris is one of the longest tenured chiropractors in Clark County.
Dr. Randy Norris never thought he would leave Battle Ground.
On Dec. 4, 1978, the 65-year-old opened his first Nu-Life chiropractic clinic on Parkway Avenue. After spending a few years there and a decade at Battle Ground Plaza, Norris bought the current building on Grace Avenue in 1992 and has been there ever since. The clinic is now called the Nu-Life Chiropractic and Health Care Center and celebrated its 40-year anniversary in Battle Ground.
“There’s none of us old-timers left, whether it’s medical, dental, chiropractic. They’ve all moved on,” Norris said. “It’s really bittersweet to leave here. I won a Businessperson of the Year award out here, set up this building and built it up and I thought, ‘I’ll be here the rest of my life. I’ll retire here.’ Life changes and things happen.”
Norris sold Nu-Life to Dr. Ken Ransonet. The two have worked together for about five years.
“It’s time to slow down. I don’t want the business portion of life anymore, I just want the patients,” Norris said. “When I sold the business, we included a 10-mile non-compete, so I could not stay in this area. But I still have my passion. I am not anywhere near retiring. I just have to move out of Battle Ground.”
Although he now lives in Camas, Norris still has ties to Battle Ground. He raised his two sons in a home along the Lewis River. Slade Norris played football for the Oregon State Beavers and was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in 2009. Zane Norris also played football for OSU and now works for the Battle Ground Fire Department.
“From the start, several of the doctors in Vancouver said you’re crazy. Battle Ground is too small. You need to be in Vancouver. But I said, ‘I’m going to get all your patients that don’t want to drive into Vancouver anymore,’” Norris recalled. “I was busy right from the start and the people here are wonderful. They have been so supportive of me. I’ve fallen in love with the town.”
Ransonet remembers meeting Norris at their gym and talking shop. Eventually, Ransonet decided to come to work at Norris’ clinic and started shadowing him. He fell in love with Norris’ style and care for his patients.
“Something I’ll always remember about Dr. Norris is his kind disposition,” Ransonet said. “When you look into his eyes, you know he absolutely cares about what he does and you.”
The rest is history.
“He approached me one day and said I want to pass the torch along. Are you willing to look into that with me? And we started that process,” Ransonet said. “It’s an honor that he trusts me to carry the torch to really ignite that passion of chiropractic care and help people. When you’re healthy, you’re happy and that’s what we want to just continue on.”
Norris’ last day at Nu-Life will be Friday, Dec. 21. On Jan. 2, he will open Norris Chiropractic Health Care at 6409 E. Mill Plain Blvd. in Vancouver.
“Chiropractic is a profession where there’s an exchange of energy. That’s addictive. It’s really hard to say I’m done with that. I want to do other things,” he said. “It’s gotten into my blood. My wife knows I’ll probably slow down but I’ll never retire, and I’m OK with that.”
Norris thanks the Battle Ground community for 40 years of support.
“God bless every person out here. I have loved every minute of it. The people have been so wonderful to me. Even though I’m only going 10 miles away, it’s a heartbreaking moment,” he said. “I’m going to miss the drive to Battle Ground each morning. I’m going to miss the people in this community. They’re a unique group of people and I have fallen in love with them.”
