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Vern Kauffman - Chief Operating Officer
Birmingham, Ala. — McSweeney Designs announced today that, Vern Kauffman, has joined the management team to serve as Chief Operating Officer (COO) for all divisions of the company going forward. In this newly created position, Vern Kauffman, will be responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations and spearheading companywide quality assurance and quality control initiatives. Additionally, Kauffman, will manage direct reports for all aspects of manufacturing, production, procurement, process management, OEM relations, Safety Regulations and Compliance, as well as assisting in new product development and future brand extensions.
Most recently, prior to joining McSweeney Designs, Kauffman served as Chief Operating Officer for Meridian Specialty Vehicles, a Las Vegas, NV based shuttle and livery vehicle upfitter. In that position, Kauffman was charged to oversee all aspects of Meridian’s product development, production and manufacturing, sales and marketing, administrative processes, as well as corporate strategic planning.
Prior to his experience with Meridian, Kauffman was the founder and chief executive officer of the industry leading 2nd stage automotive customization company L.A. West, Inc based in LaGrange, IN. Under Kauffman’s tenure L.A. West, Inc was widely regarded throughout the automotive industry as a purveyor of top quality, personalized custom vehicle solutions. As a result of Kauffman’s innovative product development, brand building, and commitment to quality craftsmanship L.A. West, Inc became one of only 5 companies to be awarded Authorized Upfitter status for each of the “Big Three” (Ford, GM, Dodge) OEM Automotive Manufacturers. Kauffman led the company to consistent profitability on annual revenues exceeding $70 million, ultimately selling the company to a VC firm in 2005.
In response to opportunities that lie ahead for McSweeney Designs, Kauffman noted “Having known the McSweeney family for nearly 20 years, along with the passion they have for exclusive automotive designs, joining the management team at McSweeney Designs is a real honor for me. I am excited about the growth potential within this organization, and look forward to being an integral part of that growth.”
“Vern’s passion for the industry, combined with his phenomenal track record of creating value for customers and capturing value for investors make him the perfect addition to round out our management culture here at McSweeney Designs.” said Jeffrey C. Hunter, McSweeney’s XO Chief Executive Officer. Hunter went on to state “Our entire team is excited to get to serve along side him to scale our business and brand; and we are eager to begin unveiling some of the ground breaking new vehicle designs which Vern will be instrumental in helping us bring on line for the upscale luxury and livery segments in Q2 and Q3 of 2015 and beyond.”
Michael McSweeney, Managing Director of the combined McSweeney Holdings portfolio, expressed “Continuing to build the best team is the critical success factor of our growth planning, and we are thrilled to have Vern join the team. He will play a key role in the growth of McSweeney Designs, and our efforts to continue diversifying the McSweeney Holdings portfolio of specialty vehicle offerings.”
About McSweeney Designs:
McSweeney Designs is a definitive world leader in hand crafting lifestyle enhanced luxury design and haute couture automotive excellence for people in the know. For over 35 years now their world class design and engineering team has been dreaming up and bringing to life some of the most innovative and highly sought after vehicles on the planet. Having honed their skills by hand tailoring private commission vehicles for clients ranging from heads of state to titans of industry as well as high profile custom automotive enthusiasts, McSweeney Designs has now extended their current range of vehicle portfolio offerings to include: up-armored dignitary transportation, executive luxury coaches and mobile business lounges based primarily on the Cadillac Escalade and Mercedes Benz Sprinter platforms. For more information please contact: jch@mcsweeneydesigns.com or visit their website at: www.mcsweeneydesigns.com.
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Sainte-Claire, Quebec — Prevost, a leading busmaker with headquarters in Quebec, Canada, has developed a new easy-to-use app for smartphone application called DeliveryTrack, which allows professionals in the motorcoach business to take photos that show the time, date, and place where the photo was taken. The photos can be used to support a claim, a delivery, or provide photographic assistance, and can then be sent to a manager or service team as a reference, creating a seamless and efficient communication process.
In the motorcoach industry there are uncontrollable factors that may cause a delay in a delivery, such as traffic congestion and severe weather. By using the DeliveryTrack app to take a photograph and ‘geo-tag’ it, the driver’s explanation can be simply and efficiently confirmed. A driver may have a question about a part; with the DeliveryTrack app he will be able to snap a picture and send it to a service team member who can help them through the process. Users will therefore be able to use this readily available tool every time they consider it necessary and in a wide variety of situations. The app can be downloaded through the Google Play or Apple iTunes stores for free.
In other news, Prevost has also announced that it has relocated its Houston service center to a much larger facility about five miles from the previous location.
“We are now able to offer expanded services compared to the previous location. This expansion is part of Prevost’s commitment to provide the strongest service network in the industry,” says Randy Castillo, Prevost service network director. The new 21,000-square-foot facility is located at 11851 Cutten Road, Houston, Texas. It is equipped with seven full service bays, a large parts warehouse area, training room, customer lounge and a larger parking area. The new service center location is easily accessed from Texas 249/Tomball Parkway and Sam Houston Parkrway.
“Prevost’s new Houston facility is one of 11 North American service centers where factory-trained experts provide a full range of maintenance services and mechanical repair solutions to get vehicles up and running quickly” says Bubba Bruning, Houston service manager.
Visit prevostcar.com more information.
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Hermes Worldwide Staff with Performer of the Year Award
Denver, Colo. — Hermes Worldwide was recently honored by Destination Colorado, a meeting planner organization dedicated to bringing events to the state, as Performer of the Year. The association honors its members—an individual and a company—with only two awards each year. The association was founded in 1993 and now boasts a roster of 100 member companies.
“We are humbled that we would be considered as the Company of the Year in any category for any reason, and to actually win is a testament to the commitment our team exhibits every day to all of our stakeholders,” says Jorge Sanchez, owner of Hermes Worldwide. “On behalf of our entire team, I would like to thank Destination Colorado for this honor and we will do our best to represent the association and its members.”
Visit hermesworldwide.com for more information.
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