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Wayne Blanchard with wife Cindy and daughter Michelle
Nashville, Tenn. — Good news to report from within the Chauffeur Driven family. Contributor Wayne Blanchard was recently reunited with his family after being geographically separated from them for several years. His wife Cindy and daughter Michelle were tangled in red tape since 2010 while they waited for visas to return to the U.S. from Indonesia.
Blanchard met Cindy while she was studying at Vanderbilt University on a student visa. While visiting her family after graduation, her student visa ran out, which prevented her return to the U.S. Despite the distance, the couple remained together, and after the couple married in Asia, they began a long, arduous immigration process. Thanks to support from Congressman Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.) and industry friends, their paperwork passed through the right hands, and Cindy and Michelle finally got the State Department’s OK to return to the U.S.
Their arrival at the airport was something Blanchard will never forget. “You can't imagine the feeling of hearing a 2-1/2 year old yell ‘Daddy!’ across a crowded airport after waiting so long for them to be allowed to come home,” he said. “But once I saw their beautiful smiles, I finally knew what it's like to truly feel content.”
Chauffeur Driven is glad to see the Blanchards together again, and wishes them the best for the future.
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Jamestown, N.Y. — The Fenton Mobility/AbiliTrax company was recently awarded New York State Office of General Services contract for furnishing Ford Transit 350 X2X vans equipped with wheelchair lifts and complete AbiliTrax flooring systems and AbiliTrax Step N Lock seating systems.
The purpose of this contract is to provide authorized users, including N.Y. state agencies, political subdivisions, local governments, public authorities, public school and fire districts, public and nonprofit libraries, and certain other nonpublic/nonprofit organizations, with the ability to purchase state-of-the-art accessible vehicles.
AbiliTrax is the first system to implement a completely uniform flooring platform, allowing the same system to be installed in multiple brands of vehicles so that fleets can have a common floor across a multitude of vehicle applications. This common platform also allows for sharing of components throughout the entire fleet, including seating, wheelchair restraints, and stretcher mounts. Significant to the N.Y. state Federal Transit Administration (FTA)-funded contract is that the AbiliTrax system is manufactured in the U.S., providing full compliance with FTA Buy America regulations.
Scott Fenton, president and co-inventor of the AbiliTrax system, said of the N.Y. state vehicle specification process, “Approximately nine months ago when we first met with the N.Y. state technical team to discuss and review the new Ford Transit vans application for wheelchair accessibility, I also had the opportunity to show them the AbiliTrax flooring and seating system. I could tell that they were very impressed with AbiliTrax. They emphasized to me the importance of safety and comfort for both the drivers and the passengers as we went over the overall vehicle specifications. When the final vehicle specification came out for bid a number of months later, I was, of course, very pleased to see that N.Y. state specified AbiliTrax as their preferred flooring and seating system.”
The contract covers three consecutive years with an extension option for a fourth and fifth year.
Visit abilitrax.com for more information.
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Orange County, Calif. — Best Chauffeured Worldwide recently announced the acquisition of its “highly respected competitor,” VIP Limousines & Coaches. Both award-winning companies have earned multiple industry accolades, and independently earned reputations for being customer-driven and employee-oriented. Combined, Best-VIP Chauffeured Worldwide offers nearly five decades of experience.
Best started as a one-vehicle, weekend limousine service. After 20 years, it accumulated a client roster that includes Fortune 500 companies and celebrities. VIP, over its 30 years in the industry, has worked with high-profile clients including Broadcom, the Anaheim Ducks, and Montage Resort.
“This is extremely exciting,” said Robert Vaughan, Best founder and CEO. “VIP has a great team coming over with the company and the owner, Roger Webb, is staying on for two years to ensure a seamless transition before he retires. We’re taking the best of both companies and implementing fresh processes and procedures, and we’re looking forward to combining into one location next year. We’re very energized about it.”
Once integrated, Best-VIP Chauffeured Worldwide will offer a united staff and a fleet of over 140 vehicles, from limousines, sedans, vans, and SUVs, to minicoaches and motorcoaches. Both companies hold a rapport with the leading DMCs and meeting planners in Southern California, and the new Best-VIP brand will maintain the highest level of service and deliver innovative options for travelers booking transportation locally and globally, according to Vaughan.
“What’s made us both very successful is our commitment to service," said Vaughan. “We provide high-end vehicles with professional chauffeurs, and strong backbone support within our office structure. Best and VIP have been able to compete in the market with one another, and now that we’re moving forward as one we’ll continue to provide elevated service and premium transportation on a larger scale.”
Visit best-vip.com for more information.
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