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The Limousine Association of New Jersey (LANJ) welcomed 60 members and guests to their fall meeting, held September 17 at the NJHA Conference Center in Princeton. Chief among the announcements made at the event was the decision to rebrand the long-time association as the Chauffeured Transportation Association of New Jersey (CTANJ). The name change was ratified with a majority vote.
“Retiring the term 'limousine' is a deliberate step toward aligning our name with the broad spectrum of chauffeured transportation services our members offer,” states CTANJ President Mike Rose of My Limousine Service. “Our association has expanded far beyond the traditional scope of limousine services. We now encompass a variety of vehicles, ranging from intimate sedans for two passengers to large 56-passenger motorcoaches. The new name, Chauffeured Transportation Association of New Jersey, better encapsulates the full range of our capabilities and services.”
CTANJ aims to represent all facets of the chauffeured transportation industry, acknowledging the advancements in vehicle technology and the expanding needs of clients. The rebranding reflects the association’s commitment to inclusivity and adaptability in a rapidly changing market.
Also announced by Rose during his LANJ Report was the hiring of a new lobbying firm—Princeton Public Affairs—to represent the association in its legislative matters. Other news included a new text messaging app for members to receive updates and the re-formation of the Be Driven Safety Campaign, which is designed to differentiate the industry from TNCs and illegal, unlicensed operators. Rose also shared that the Barbara J. Chirico Scholarship Fund raised an impressive $6,500, which was distributed to the children of association members.
Next, LANJ Founding Member Pete Corelli was recognized for his more than 20 years of service. Corelli stepped down as board member earlier this year but had been instrumental in getting various legislation passed during his long tenure as PAC chair. After being presented with a plaque for his years of service, Corelli was visibly moved and said his time with LANJ was an “enjoyable trip.” Rose then called Corelli a “true inspiration and great friend.”
2nd Vice President Jeffrey Cartagena of Leros Transportation Group was then given the podium to announce 12 new operator members, nine new vendor members, and a new affiliate member, Elegance Limousine out of New Mexico. He also shared a bit about the various affinity programs that are available to association members, including money saving on products, services, and marketing opportunities.
Next, 1st Vice President Joe Gulino of Gem Limousine introduced the afternoon’s guest speaker Carl Zev of Zev University. The experienced coach and trainer shared about his program, which helps business owners manage stress and promotes a healthy work/life balance. Zev shared that he was amazed at the moving parts required to successfully manage our industry, and emphasized the importance of good health, particularly for operators that work long, hard hours.
The meeting continued with a few short words from Past President Jeff Shanker of Black Tie Transportation, who encouraged members to consider joining the American Bus Association (ABA). Shanker serves as a member of the ABA Bus Industry Safety Council and promoted the February ABA Marketplace meeting in Philadelphia.
The final speaker for the day was CD President Chris Weiss, who was invited to share a bit about the upcoming CD/NLA Show at the Gaylord National on October 13-16. Weiss suggested that new attendees take part in the show’s popular Operator Mentoring Program, suggesting that the session alone offers takeaway worthy of the cost of the show. He also promoted the revamped Association Summit, which will focus on the insurance crisis faced by operators from around the country.
The next meeting for the CTANJ is their Holiday Party to be held December 10 at a location to be announced.
Visit lanj.org for more information.
[09.19.24]
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Cybersecurity firm SensCy recently released their SMO Cybersecurity Readiness Report, which uses 2023 data from small and medium-size businesses (SMOs) across various sectors nationwide. The report explored cybersecurity assessments—based on the National Institute of Technology Standards (NIST) framework—of hundreds of businesses with fewer than 1,000 employees, measuring their ability to identify and protect their organization against online threats as well as their action plan should an attack happen.
The report was published just ahead of October’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Ultimately, the report concluded: “With alarming statistics on insufficient cyber insurance, inadequate training, and weak incident response plans, this report underscores the urgent need for enhanced cybersecurity measures.”
According to the findings, a staggering 77 percent of SMOs assessed did not follow baseline cybersecurity practices, leaving them vulnerable to scams, phishing, and ransomware attacks. SensCy notes that cyberattacks on SMOs have escalated, up 424 percent in 2023 from the previous year.
Additionally, nearly 45 percent of respondents said they did not conduct any internal or external vulnerability scans, while 65 percent of companies indicated that they had no formal policies to train employees to be aware of these types of threats.
While the report is indeed alarming, there were some bright spots that SMOs are taking their security seriously: 70 percent of respondents had a firewall in place, and companies that adopted best practices were able to improve their score by 4X to 10X within a matter of months.
The full report is available here.
SensCy—a portmanteau of “sensible cyber”—was founded by former two-term Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, who also has extensive experience in corporate America as a venture capitalist as well as president and chairman of PC manufacturer Gateway. He, along with his two other founders, Dave Kelly, SensCy CTO and former Commander of the Michigan Cyber Command Center, and David Behen, SensCy’s Chief Client Success Offer and former CIO of the State of Michigan and La-Z-Boy, built SensCy to help arm small and medium-size businesses create and implement proactive cyber programs with easy-to-understand solutions to better protect them against online attacks. Collectively, the SensCy executive team has more than a century of IT and cybersecurity experience.
Using their proprietary SensCy Score, which measures points of vulnerability within an organization, SensCy offers custom guidance to reduce risk, implement safeguards, and nurture a culture of awareness in case of an attack. You can assess your own company with their free online test here.
Visit senscy.com for more information.
[09.17.24]
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Forest River, a manufacturer in the recreational vehicle, cargo trailer, pontoon boat, and commercial vehicle industries, has announced changes to its leadership team.
Founder and CEO Pete Liegl announced three leadership changes designed to continue Forest River’s forward trajectory and dedication to customer satisfaction.
- CFO Darrel Ritchie will lead corporate management. Having started with Forest River in 2002, Ritchie brings deep understanding of the company and is poised to continue the Forest River commitment to excellence.
- David Wright, another 22-year expert, will assume management of Forest River’s commercial division, inclusive of buses, vans, trucks, and cargo trailers.
- Doug Gaeddert, who has run towable divisions for 25+ years, will now oversee Forest River’s entire recreational vehicles division, including towables and motorized.
Liegl remains CEO and will continue to lead strategic oversight of Forest River.
“I believe it is important to envision the future and plan for a smooth transition for the continued legacy of Forest River,” said Liegl. “I will remain fully engaged and devote significant time to help the incoming leaders.”
In other news, Forest River is proud to announce it is renewing its partnership with Care Camps Foundation. This announcement was made as part of the celebration marking Forest River surpassing the $1M milestone in cumulative donations.
In 2019, Forest River pledged to donate to Care Camps Foundation with every product sold. This month, the partnership surpassed its $1M goal, enabling thousands of children living with cancer and their families to experience a medically supervised camp.
"We are pleased to celebrate this milestone in our partnership with Care Camps Foundation. As an RV manufacturer, it just makes sense.” said Forest River General Manager and Care Camps Foundation Board Member Jason Hershberger. “As an industry we do a lot of good things individually, but this is one of those things that we should all do together. We hope to inspire every manufacturer, supplier, and dealer to come together so every child suffering from cancer will have the opportunity to attend a special camp.”
The Forest River-Care Camps Foundation collaboration can also be seen at their annual Elkhart RV Open House, and with a co-branded sticker that is placed on every Forest River recreation vehicle sold across the country.
“We are deeply grateful for our partnership with Forest River and their extraordinary generosity,” said Care Camps Foundation Executive Director Gwynn Sullivan. “Their steadfast commitment to our mission greatly contributes to our ability to fund the pediatric oncology camps we serve.”
In 2023, Care Camps Foundation provided $2M in funding to over 120 pediatric oncology camps across the United States and Canada impacting over 41,000 lives of children, siblings, families, and volunteers who attended. Corporate partnerships with the outdoor industry are pivotal to help fund the camps’ operational expenditures, capital improvement needs, and program innovations—and ultimately provide the opportunity for children living with cancer and their families to experience community and the healing power of the outdoors.
Visit forestriverinc.com for more information.
[09.17.24]