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Peak Limousine President & CEO Shawn Glasgow and Vice President Faith Glasgow
Charlotte, N.C. —The Peak Limousine family is pleased to announce its recent acquisition of Limo-Zen, which will help the Charlotte-based company expand its operational reach into a previously untapped North Carolina market in a resort mountain destination.
“The purchase of Limo-Zen will allow us to increase our Asheville footprint and expand into the Greenville, S.C., market,” said Peak Limousine President & CEO Shawn Glasgow.
The deal was closed September 9 after what Peak Limousine Vice President Faith described as a "quick and painless process" that benefited from all parties being on good terms.
“Since getting into the Asheville market in 2017, we’ve been looking at what else was out there, and Limo-Zen was a company that we had not only become friendly with, but also knew that they have some great accounts,” she explained. “They are good people who started their business in 2015, though it’s more of a hobby for them rather than the livelihood it is for us. Their books were clean and, while we still did our due diligence, there was enough of a trust factor that it made for an easy transition.”
The Glasgows describe their new venture into the Asheville, Greenville. Tryon market as a true destination in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains that, despite its clear demand for a high-touch one-stop shop, is largely under-represented by larger operators. It is also a significant part of a long-term plan that will help Peak plant its flag in a North Carolina market that the Glasgows have been eager to break into.
“There are not many luxury providers in the area, and we know there’s a need for it: This is a destination with high-quality hotels, so you’ve got the demand for a luxury service,” Faith said. “It was a good time for us because expanding into Asheville and Greenville was part of our five-year plan; now that we’ve been in Asheville for two years, we’ve established enough of a base there that we felt it was time for the next progression of our plan, which was to reinforce our presence in the Asheville market while acquiring a business in the Greenville market too.”
The region also offers niche appeal with its sought-after training and completive grounds for the likes of athletes ranging from internationally ranked cyclists to competitive equestrians.
“Because it’s a mountainous region, serious bicyclists like George Hincapie come out here to get their legs and lungs ready,” explained Shawn. “One of our new accounts is a hotel that caters to them while they’re up here training in the mountains. Another aspect is that there’s a half-a-billion-dollar facility here for horses and equestrian training, which was designed to host major events—which tend to attract high end, luxury travelers. So that’s something that we’re getting into while earning everyone’s trust.”
With the new company, Peak will welcome almost a dozen new employees between chauffeurs and office staff, as well as two websites and an impressive client database. The Glasgows already feel that the veteran LimoZen staff has proven to be a valuable addition, having offered considerable guidance throughout the early transition period that has included numerous face-to-face meetings with new accounts’ key players.
And they are grateful for the two office employees they’ve acquired with LimoZen, who have helped facilitate an even smoother transition.
“We’re so thankful these two employees have come on board because they are so knowledgeable about the accounts,” Faith said. “A lot of the clients have gotten comfy and familiar with the staff, and since they come from luxury mountain neighborhoods, they expect the soft-touch service that they’re used to.”
Visit peaklimo.com for more information.
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L to R: GCLA Director and Chairman of the Legislative Committee Mark Stewart of CLI Worldwide, lobbyist Gregg Cook, President Mo Garkani of The COTS Group, and Past President David Kinney of API Global Transportation
Los Angeles —With some major topics on the agenda for the evening, the Greater California Livery Association (GCLA) welcomed roughly 120 attendees to its September 17 meeting, including CD Publisher Chris Weiss, who was one of the evening’s speakers.
With the recent noteworthy passage of Assembly Bill 5 generating quite the buzz among luxury ground transportation operators from coast to coast, it’s no surprise that the bill was on everyone’s mind the evening of its passage right in the association’s backyard—though GCLA Director and Chairman of the Legislative Committee Mark Stewart of CLI Worldwide says that “I don’t think anyone thought the governor would sign it so quickly.”
AB5, which aims to make sweeping reforms to the misclassification of so-called “gig economy” workers as independent contractors instead of being considered the employees they should have rightfully been considered in the first place, will piggyback on the “ABC Test” that determines what protections are owed to a worker based on three metrics. Employers must prove that a worker is free from their control, performing work beyond the parameters of regular business, and independently entrenched in the trade in question to ensure their IC status; otherwise, they are a bona-fide employee.
While the GCLA is understandably pleased to see its labors finally met with the start of a truly level playing field, Stewart knows this is not the time to rest on one’s laurels.
L to R: GCLA Director Thomas Buck of Beau Wine Tours, CD Publisher Chris Weiss, Mark Stewart, and Tony Talia of First Class Customs
“The bill becomes effective January 1, so we feel like this is just the beginning,” he said. “Uber especially, their legal officers have been pretty arrogantly and openly defiant in stating how they’re not going to obey. So that’s going to be the big issue. We figure that all the rideshare companies, including the food delivery services, are not going to obey the law—but they are aware of that amendment. There’s a key amendment that came in at the 11th hour in that bill prior to it being approved, and that was the enforcement issue.”
While the GCLA still has questions about what that enforcement is going to look like, it has been in talks with the California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) and will continue to be so, as members are heartened by the direction things are going.
L to R: AJ Thurber of Grech Motors, John Raftery of Executive Limousine & Coach, Jeff Brodsly of Chosen Payments, and Barry Trabb of Complete Fleet Livery Sales
In fact, the day Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB5 into law, Stewart was joined by other members of the GCLA legislative team—President Mo Garkani of The COTS Group, Past President David Kinney of API Global Transportation, and lobbyist Gregg Cook—in their first-ever meeting with PUC Executive Director Alice Steadman while “everyone from the PUC transportation team was on the phone” in a one-hour meeting that Stewart summarizes as being “very well-received, we were really impressed with the takeaway.”
The meeting also included discussion of another considerable win, an amendment to AB1810 that finally made it illegal to smoke or vape cannabis in a commercial vehicle—which had previously been legal after Prop 64 passed, which legalized the drug in California.
“As far as I know, the governor hasn’t signed that bill so he still has 30 days to do that,” Stewart said. “But having that amendment placed onto 1810 is a big deal.”
Speakers Bill Wheeler of Black Tie Transportation (left) and Matthew Strack of Strack Transportation
In addition to a legislative landscape that finally reflects the association’s dedicated lobbying efforts, the meeting itself hosted speakers who tackled an array of topics. Weiss spoke of industry trends that are establishing themselves as mainstays, which included the larger motorcoaches and buses that speaker Joe Guinn of Limo & Bus Compliance addressed in his own presentation about how staying with regulatory compliance will be changing for big-group-movers in the coming year.
Bill Wheeler of Black Tie Transportation and Matthew Strack of Strack Transportation offered “a semi-panel” about their journeys from being small operators to growing their companies to the larger presences they are now, which Stewart said “hit every topic non-stop” in just 15 minutes.
Visit gcla.org for more information.
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The two biggest trade associations in the for-hire passenger transportation industry announced today that they are in earnest discussions to merge in 2020.
The National Limousine Association (NLA) and The Transportation Alliance (formerly known as the Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Association) have been in exploratory merger talks for several months to outline the operating framework of the combined organizations. Now, with the initial support of both boards behind them, the groups will continue to advance their discussions.
“This would be a win for our combined membership and a win for industry vendors,” said Terry O’Toole, president of The Transportation Alliance. “With our associations merged, we see a bright future where our members save money, where our vendors can meet under one roof, and where our unified messages are amplified like never before.”
Terry O'Toole, President of the Transportation Alliance
Gary Buff, President of the National Limousine Association
“From the first discussion, both associations approached this as a true merger of equals,” said Gary Buffo, president of the NLA. “That spirit of cooperation has brought us to this exciting point today. We each bring significant strengths to the table that, when you add them together, create an impressive and powerful organization serving as the voice of our industry.”
The boards of both organizations have reviewed and approved in principle the structure under which the new organization will operate.
Each organization hosts annual conferences and trade shows. Both groups expect to address the possible merger at their respective upcoming meetings. The NLA hosts a membership meeting at the Westin Boston Waterfront on Oct. 14 during the Chauffeur Driven Show from 13-16. The Transportation Alliance hosts its convention and expo, Mobilize 2019, at Bally’s Las Vegas on Oct. 16-19.
About The Transportation Alliance: Established in 1917, The Transportation Alliance is a nonprofit trade association that represents the owners and managers of for-hire transportation services (taxicab, limousine, sedan, TNC, shuttle, brokers, paratransit, and nonemergency medical fleets). The Transportation Alliance’s member companies operate more than 100,000 passenger vehicles and transport more than 900 million passengers annually. Visit thetransportationalliance.org or contact John Boit at boit@melwoodglobal.com for more information.
About the National Limousine Association: The National Limousine Association is a nonprofit organization responsible for and dedicated to representing the interests of the private driver transportation industry at the global, national, state, and local level. It is the unified voice of this industry, linking transportation industry professionals from owners and operators to suppliers, manufacturers, and regional and state limousine associations. With more than 1,000 NLA members, the Association is committed to exceeding expectations with regards to professionalism, transportation efficiency, and safe riding. Visit limo.org or contact Matthew Berritt at matthew.berritt@evins.com for more information.
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