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Doing what associations do best! When its last in-person meeting was thwarted by the no-gatherings order—originally scheduled for March 18, just two days after the mandate was announced by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis—the West Florida Limousine Association (WFLA) Board shifted into virtual mode to keep its members informed and safe. After weeks of fellow members checking in on each other via phone and email, Secretary Tom Halsnik of Walsh Chauffeured Transportation floated the idea of a Zoom meeting, which was met with an amazing response. The first meeting on April 29 was a success with nearly 20 members in attendance.
“Immediately following that meeting, I was bombarded with thanks and requests for another,” said Halsnik. “It was a feeling of relief that we were all experiencing the same thing, questions were answered by our insurance and vehicle sales members, information and advice sharing, and just to see folks face to face that we haven't seen in a while.” Halsnik quickly invited members to a second meeting, which was held on May 6 with about a dozen members.
The laid-back meeting, led by President Jeremy Jenkins of His & Hers Limousine, Treasurer David DiDomenico of Showtime Transportation, and Halsnik, was filled with lots of good-natured banter between members and some possible adult beverages (we won’t tell!), but was also heavy on information.
WFLA Secretary Tom Halsnik
Members voiced some frustrations with the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a new loan program specifically designed for COVID-19 relief for small businesses with 500 or fewer employees. PPP, part of Congress stimulus CARES Act, was created to cover the costs and partial rent and utilities for businesses for an eight-week period, although it’s been an imperfect fit for those industries like ours that are shut down indefinitely. Some on the call said that they has been approved, but had yet to be funded, noting that they had better luck with small community banks over the larger financial institutions.
Earlier in the day, Halsnik shared an update from The Hillsborough County Aviation Authority, the regulatory body of the Tampa International Airport. As of May 11, “all tenants and employees that work at Tampa International Airport will be required to wear a face covering when working or transiting any public space of the airport,” which includes chauffeurs and drivers. The Authority has launched its #TPAready initiative to ramp up for post-COVID travel, which includes ground markings for social distancing, plastic shields at ticket counters and boarding gates, enhanced cleaning of terminal facilities, and, of course, the use of face masks/coverings. More details can be found here. Additionally, the notice said that operators may temporarily be permitted to park in the short-term garage, although the situation will be monitored and updated as needed.
Vendor members Joseph Madiedo of PIC Insurance and Jim Armstrong of Limo World fielded tons of questions from those on the call, from insurance premiums to what the market looks like for selling vehicles as operators look to cut costs and sell any unneeded inventory. A big part of the conversation centered on the in-demand Plexiglas dividers that many companies are installing to keep customers and chauffeurs safe. Some commented that affiliates were requiring the installation, which Madiedo noted had been used—and applauded—in taxis for years.
WFLA plans on holding another Zoom meeting on May 13 at 5 p.m., as well as its official “lunch” meeting on May 20 at 12:30 p.m. Information on how to join the meeting can be found on WFLA’s Facebook page.
[05.08.20]
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Brentwood Livery, a luxury ground transportation company based in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, commemorated their 30th anniversary with a Virtual Celebration on April 30. Founded in 1990 by the husband-and-wife team of David and Marilyn Ferguson, the family-run company is now manned by the second generation.
Owners Laura and Brent Ferguson toast clients
“My parents started this company with a six-passenger Caprice Classic stretch limousine with burgundy interior,” says Brentwood Livery “Chief Experience Officer” Brent Ferguson. “Before he passed away in 2007, his focus was always on customer service. He taught me how to be an entrepreneur. Helping our clients be successful is why we continue to do this.”
Brent is joined in the company by his wife Laura, who he says fills the role of “chief whatever-I-don’t-do” and his sister Beverly Bryant, who serves as key reservationist.
“I’m fortunate to have successful women around me,” says Ferguson. “They make me a better person.”
Together, the Ferguson/Bryant team spearhead a staff of 30 employees and manage a fleet of 30 vehicles, which includes everything from sedans to buses. Recently, Brentwood introduced a couple Teslas into their vehicle options, and they’ve become a hit with clients—and spectators.
Brentwood Livery fleet
“After we dropped our first Tesla clients at the airport, they called from the terminal to book their next two trips with the electric cars. And, our chauffeur told us that people were taking pictures of the car at curbside because they were so impressed with the look of the gull-wing doors,” says Ferguson.
When it came time to celebrate Brentwood’s approaching anniversary, the company initially planned a large party for their clients and friends. However, the COVID-19 crisis forced the team to be creative.
“How do you celebrate when you can’t hug your clients?” wondered Ferguson.
In lieu of a traditional get-together, on April 30, the Ferguson family hosted a 30th Anniversary Virtual Celebration on Zoom and Facebook Live where their clients were invited to share any memories of how Brentwood Livery contributed to an unforgettable life event or experience. Dozens participated, including their hometown mayor, who sent a message of thanks. Several videos from the celebration can be viewed on Brentwood's Facebook page.
Brent says that another person who took part in the virtual celebration was a 25-year Brentwood client who was first driven by David Ferguson to a high-school reunion. Since then, the client has booked with the company for several major life events–including his mother’s 90th birthday party—not to mention regular corporate transportation.
“It’s cool to know that we’ve made an impact on peoples’ lives,” says Ferguson.
Visit brentwoodlivery.ca for more information.
[05.11.20]
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After seeing and listening to so many small business owners devasted by the COVID pandemic, ABC Companies was inspired to create a concept that would help them have a big voice with government. What initially began as a proposal shared with the American Bus Association (ABA) and United Motorcoach Association (UMA), and later married with a very similar vision shared by the Ohio Motorcoach Association, the Motorcoaches Rolling for Awareness (MR4A) movement was born. Other key contributors including DATTCO and DC Trails quickly jumped onboard and helped to formulate ideas and strategize how bring the biggest industry social media “meet up” in history to life. The event is scheduled to be held on May 13 in Washington, D.C., with hundreds of motorcoach companies nationwide expected to participate.
“The event coordination is being led by an all-volunteer group of individuals from multiple disciplines within the industry,” said Thom Peebles, VP, Marketing, ABC Companies. “When [ABC President and Chief Commercial Officer] Roman Cornell and I first developed the concept, it was simply to help our industry get back on the road. ABC and the Cornell family have long believed that taking care of customers takes care of everything else, and we couldn’t just sit back and watch our industry, customers, and friends be decimated by these shutdowns.”
ABC Companies President and Chief Commercial Officer Roman Cornell
According to Peebles, following the first meeting with ABA and UMA they were introduced to Ben Bolog, president of the Ohio Motorcoach Association (OMA) as well as an independent multi-generational operator and president of US Coach Tours. Bolog was also simultaneously developing the same concept ABC had brought to the table. All parties quickly recognized the obvious synergies of bringing ABC and OMA together. After consulting with different operators and associations, it was clear that the industry was primed for the idea and needed a method to funnel into action. The initiative was agreed to and named, followed shortly by a website all in the same day. ABC says that Cornell has generously contributed many staff members including Peebles, who is spearheading much of the effort, to bring this event to life.
Since the concept’s inception, key industry leaders including MCI, Prevost, and other bus OEMs have all contributed at various levels to ensure that the event accurately represents the industry as a whole and its many customers served.
“This is the kind of grassroots movement my grandfather Clancy Cornell would have gotten behind, and I think he would be proud of ABC working so hard at this level to help our customers and their businesses. Making customers and our industry our priority is what makes ABC what it is today,” added Cornell. “When this pandemic first hit, I challenged my team to truly understand how we could help our customers and our industry as a whole. Since then, we have launched our CLEANS initiative of products and services to clean and sanitize motorcoaches and provide support elements to get the traveling public back on our customers’ coaches. When the concept of bringing miles of motorcoaches to D.C. as rolling billboards to educate and garner government and public support, in a way that was positive, I was all in,” he said.
“We think this will be the largest meetup in our industry’s history and we’re truly humbled to be a part of it. We look forward to seeing so many of our friends and operators on the road as we roll together during the ultimate social distancing, awareness-raising event,” said Peebles.
ABC companies will be posting daily updates about the MR4A Event on the ABC Companies website at abc-companies.com using hashtags #dontmissourbus, #busesmoveamerica, #motorcoachesrolling4awareness, #rolling4awareness, and #R4A2020. ABC encourages participants and stakeholders to continue to post stories, videos, and pictures on its Facebook group page.
Visit busesmoveamerica.com for more information on how to participate. All companies wishing to join the rally must pre-register (space is limited).
[05.11.20]