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Des Moines — Motor Coach Industries (MCI) has delivered two new MCI J4500 Livery Edition coaches to expand RMA Worldwide Chauffeured Transportation’s busy fleet of 375-vehicles. These are the first MCI motorcoaches purchased by the comppany.
“We have clients who love different models, and the MCI J4500 has a lot of things we were looking for,” explains RMA Vice President of Operations Gigi Bridgers.
The two 2019 J4500s are fully featured for the luxury livery market. Starting with the roomy 56-seat J4500 configuration, RMA’s new MCIs include Amaya 220 seating with leather diamond stitching and cup holders on the back of each seat. Additionally, each coach features an enhanced sound system, and the RGB lighting package that allows for customize interior color lighting options, and exterior custom paint and decaling.
RMA’s motor coach fleet goes to work for large events, corporate charters, and university clients. The company recently provided transportation for the Horatio Alger awards and the Boy Scouts of America’s annual convention through RMA’s offices in Washington, D.C., and Rockville. RMA’s business expansion includes a new location in Richmond, VA and a new transit bus and coach maintenance facility in Baltimore, MD.
The company trains its drivers to handle versatile assignments. RMA also operates transit buses on Baltimore’s and Bethesda’s circulators, so driver training includes behind-the-wheel hours and instruction on all types of bus models.
“We’re lucky because some of our transit drivers also serve as coach drivers and we’ll let them drive within the DOT regulation of hours,” said Bridgers.
RMA also offers customers worldwide service through its affiliate network in 600 cities around the globe. Much-admired, RMA has won serval prestigious industry awards throughout its history and are members of ABA and UMA.
Visit rmalimo.com for more information.
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Statesville, N.C. — Coachbuilder L.A. West is the latest exhibitor to announce exclusivity to Chauffeur Driven and NLA coproduced trade shows and events. President Vern Kauffman says that the company has committed to floor space at the Boston CD show this October 13-16 at the Westin Boston Waterfront as well as the upcoming CD/NLA Show at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas in February 2020.
A long-time bus industry fixture, Kauffman relaunched the L.A. West brand name in April 2018 after acquiring the inventory, equipment, engineering rights, and warranties from McSweeney Designs, and then moving to a 30,000-square-foot facility in N.C. Since then, the builder has been rolling Mercedes-Benz Sprinters and Ford Transit buses off their assembly line and into dealerships across the country.
The positive experience he had at the 2018 CD Show was influential in Kauffman’s decision to become an exclusive exhibitor.
“We had great results attending and exhibiting at the Chauffeur Driven Show in National Harbor, not only in terms of immediate sales activity but also in follow-up inquiries coming in six months to a year after the show‚” he says.
On the show floor in Boston, attendees will get the opportunity to experience L.A. West’s Sprinter and Transit product as well as meet representatives of the builder’s dealer network. Unlike many builders in the luxury ground transportation marketplace‚ L.A. West utilizes a dealer network that extends across all major markets in the United States.
“With the dealer network, we feel we have a better presence throughout the country than if we were selling direct‚” says Director of Operations Michelle Keck. “In Boston‚ we’re expecting to have six or eight authorized and approved L.A. West dealers present in our exhibit space to meet with operators.”
Kauffman is pleased to have the chance to expose the L.A. West brand to end-users at the coming CD/NLA events.
“The shows are a great platform to support our dealer network and create brand awareness by letting the operators see‚ touch‚ and experience our products while letting our dealers build relationships with clients and generate lead,” he says.
With new things in development at L.A. West in the coming year, Kauffman looks forward to sharing new products with the market at Vegas and beyond.
Visit lawestcoaches.com for more information.
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Marlton, N.J. — Keeping up with the latest technology is imperative for today’s ground transportation providers. Reservations, dispatch, fleet management, and office management are reliant on having up-to-the-minute software and equipment to keep their operations running smoothly. With that in mind, the 2019 Chauffeur Driven Show, held October 13-16 at the Westin Boston Waterfront, is THE place to be this fall for companies looking to stay on top of technology trends and innovations, and their effect on our industry.
We’re pleased to announce that three of the industry’s top tech providers—FASTTRAK Technologies, GroundWidgets, and Hudson Software—have partnered with CD and the National Limousine Association (NLA) as exclusive vendors and sponsors of CD/NLA events. Moreover, on Tuesday, October 15 at 10 a.m., these three tech titans will take part in our Center Stage Tech Panel along with some of the top names of the field. Joining FASTTRAK President/Founder Eddie McCoy, GroundWidgets Chairman & CEO Apurva Patel, and Hudson Software Vice President of Software Development Derek Skawinski are a who’s who in industry tech providers, including Limo Anywhere President Sean Arena and Livery Coach Solutions President David Hirsch. They will join CD Education Committee co-chair Jason Sharenow of Broadway Elite Worldwide for a moderated discussion that will cover a spectrum of tech-related topics, ranging from automation, apps, interconnectivity, analytics, and so much more.
“FASTTRAK Technologies is proud to pledge its exclusive support to the NLA and their choice of Chauffeur Driven to bring the finest in education to the industry via their co-produced events and programs,” says McCoy.
“The GroundWidgets team has long been an integral part of the limousine and chauffeured industry. Our support for the NLA is unwavering and we are committed to working with the NLA to provide best-in-class technology services and products to their members and our industry. We are thrilled to be supporting the NLA and Chauffeur Driven Show exclusively in the coming years as we believe that this is a strong partnership that will benefit the industry and the NLA membership,” says Patel.
"Hudson Software is proud to exclusively support Chauffeur Driven, the NLA, and their upcoming initiatives. We look forward to serving on the technology panel and sharing our vision with attendees, as our commitment to delivering transformative technology to this industry is as strong today, as it was 20 years ago when we first launched,” says Hudson Software Vice President of Operations Gustavo Gomez. “We thank the entire Chauffeur Driven/NLA team for including us in this opportunity to come together and discuss technology innovation that benefits all within this industry.”
Chauffeur Driven understands that choosing the right technology for your company can be a daunting prospect, in terms of both expense and ease of operation. At the end of the session, time will be allotted for our panel of experts to field questions from attendees that will not only help you make the best decision for your company, but to ensure a smooth transition.
“Livery Coach is pleased to be part of the tech panel in Boston this year. The more operators understand how technology can help their business, the stronger we all become,” offers Hirsch.
“I am thrilled to be participating in the upcoming Chauffeur Driven Tech Panel this October in Boston,” adds Limo Anywhere President Sean Arena. “With the rapid pace of change in technology, it is imperative that we focus our attention on the trends and opportunities that are shaping our industry, as well as the world around us.”
Further, panelists will offer insight on the future of the luxury ground transportation industry as it relates to technology. Whether it’s near-demand booking, autonomous cars, or global networking, the experts will share their vision as it relates to efficiency, safety, customer service, and the industry as a whole.
“Embracing real-time dispatch and mobile technology to provide travel analytics to all stakeholders is more important today than at any time in our industry’s history,” says McCoy.
With the show just a few weeks away, if you haven’t yet registered, now is the time. Our room block at the Westin is now sold out, but we’ve been able to secure rooms at the neighboring Aloft for the unbelievable rate of $227 a night. Spaces are filling up fast, so take advantage of this offer while it lasts. Once these rooms are gone, you aren’t likely to find a comparable room rate in the Waterfront area.
Visit chauffeurdrivenshow.com for more information.
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