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Atlanta, Ga. — Atlantic Limousine and Transportation announces the hiring of Patrick Kiesel as director of operations for the Atlanta operation. Kiesel brings a long history in the for-hire transportation industry working as general manager for 15 years and operations manager for 12 years at a provider in Louisville, Ky. In this new role, he will manage the day-to-day operation of Atlantic’s 75-vehicle fleet while preparing for major events occurring in 2019 such as the Super Bowl.
“We are excited to have Patrick on our team,” explains Atlantic President Robert Oskouie. “As our business continues to grow, we need to manage that growth with industry experts who can take us to the next level. By relocating to Georgia, we know that Patrick is a committed executive who will assist in growing our business.”
President Robert Oskouie, Director of Operations Patrick Kiesel, and Owner Hoss Oskouie
Kiesel has managed large events throughout his career including many Kentucky Derbies, Super Bowls, All-Star Games (NBA and MLB), and PGA Championships, as well as Ryder Cup and Breeder’s Cup races.
“I am very excited and look forward to playing a key role in the growth of Atlantic. The team in place is incredible and I know that this is a winning recipe for success,” says Kiesel.
Kiesel believes that his experience will allow him to create greater efficiencies at Atlantic through process improvements and technology.
Visit atlanticlimo-ga.com for more information.
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A. Candies Coachworks’ 30th Prevost coach
Sainte Claire, Q.C. — To kick off their 30th anniversary, A. Candies Coachworks of Gainesville, Fla. took delivery of its 30th Prevost motorcoach at the UMA Expo 2018 in San Antonio, Tex. A. Candies Coachworks Founder and President Sander Kaplan credits Prevost Sales Representative Eloy Torres for the success of this memorable event.
“Eloy was kind enough to bring our 30th coach to San Antonio and save us a trip to California,” he says. “He took the time to put our logo on the back and our anniversary announcements on side. We appreciate the attention Prevost has always shown us and why our working relationship has always been “win-win.”
In keeping with A. Candies’ business model, the star of the show was a preowned 2011 H3-45 featuring DEF, three-point seatbelts, WiFi, and Direct TV. The A. Candies Coachworks fleet of preowned Prevost H3-45s range in model years from 1998 to 2013.
“We continue to run every Prevost we have purchased,” says Kaplan. “We keep each coach in exceptional operating condition; to the point our customers have no issue with riding in older coaches, so long as they are clean, safely maintained and fully operational.”
The young entrepreneur found his way into the transportation industry after chasing down an off-the-cuff comment from a client about to be married, who could not find a limousine. He ended up purchasing his first Armbruster limousine for this one occasion. As calls started coming in, Kaplan was able to trade up, and soon his fledgling operation quickly expanded to eight limos.
Nineteen years later, he moved into motorcoaches, narrowly preceding the economic downturn of 2008 that would take out much of the limousine business.
“One of my drivers suggested I consider charter coach service for this area,” says Kaplan. “Frankly, I just didn’t think motorcoaches were as cool as my sleek fleet of limos. Boy, was I wrong.”
As Kaplan searched around for a coach he could afford, his sales rep at the time hoped to get him into a Prevost, assuring him the H3-45 rode better and provided more underneath storage for luggage and band instruments. Once Prevost and Kaplan came to an agreement on price, he signed for his first motorcoach, a 2000 model H3-45 with 300,000 miles.
Working closely with Prevost and his sales rep, he formulated his business model to grow the fleet at a very deliberate pace. Together, Kaplan and Prevost determined A. Candies Coachworks would operate only preowned coaches.
“Through our many years working together, I can never say enough for Prevost understanding and aligning with our unique way of working,” he says. “The help we have received has been instrumental to our growth.”
Visit prevostcar.com for more information.
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L to R: Gold Shield Transportation’s Vice President of Operations T.J. Doyle, Director of Operations Jami Crouch, and Director of Chauffeurs and Logistics David Monsey Lexington, Ky. — Last month, Gold Shield Transportation in Kentucky added two familiar industry faces to its family while also planting its flag in Indiana.
Gold Shield’s Vice President of Operations T.J. Doyle announced that, with the acquisition of Avalon Executive Transportation, its owner David Monsey will be Director of Chauffeurs and Logistics while Jami Crouch will serve as Director of Operations for the newly established Indianapolis branch of the company. Crouch will oversee the new branch; Monsey will hire and train chauffeurs.
Both Crouch and Monsey have worked with Doyle previously and maintained solid professional relationships and friendships. It was when Doyle and his father George, who owns Gold Shield, began discussing onboarding the two that the idea took shape—and took off.
While the Indianapolis branch is new ground for Gold Shield, providing transportation there certainly is not: The company serves numerous clients in the Midwestern metropolis, and will be focusing on corporate work in the region.
And with two established industry locals who bring their own connections and expertise to the augmented operation, Gold Shield plans to bring its high-end service to a broader market in Indiana. The new branch can be contacted via phone at 1.888.546.4930 and its reservations email at gsindy@goldshieldcars.com.
Visit goldshieldcars.com for more information.
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