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An uptick in business due to Super Bowl LV was a positive point of discussion on the February 24 Zoom meeting held by the West Florida Limousine Association (WFLA). WFLA President Jeremy Jenkins of His & Hers Limousines reported that several members saw a rise in business in February, largely due to the demand from the Big Game.
Unfortunately, WFLA members were disappointed, to say the least, in the policing around Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium with regard to ground transportation. Despite members paying up to thousands of dollars in temporary permit fees, the city did virtually no patrolling to make sure paperwork was in order. This led to TNCs and non-permitted vehicles accessing the prime curbside realty at the stadium. WFLA members are expected to speak to area officials so this type of snafu does not occur again, particularly since the city is planning to continue their temporary permitting policies.
WFLA members are anticipating the arrival of Wrestlemania in April, which often brings a great deal of work. At the time of the meeting, it had yet to be determined whether spectators would be permitted to attend. The WFLA Board promised to keep members informed of any news from the WWE regarding the event.
Construction at Tampa International Airport has been a source of frustration with nighttime work shutting down major arteries into the facility. However, WFLA Secretary Tom Halsnik of Walsh Transportation reported that completion is being fast-tracked, with plans to finish by the summer. On the plus side, members reported that flight activity is increasing and more people appear to be traveling. Operators remain hopeful that tourism will soon return, as they were disappointed that the popular Parade of Pirates event had been cancelled.
The next WFLA virtual conference is scheduled to be held on March 24. The organization plans to hold a live board election during the meeting.
Visit facebook.com/WestFloridaLimousineAssociation for more information.
[02.26.21]
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Freedman Seating, producers of commercial transportation seating options, announced the promotion of Christy Nunes and Sam Cardone to chief operations officers, respectively, effective immediately. Nunes previously held the position of director of business operations and Cardone the position of director of strategy.
“Over the years, Christy and Sam have both grown in responsibility and authority at Freedman Seating and Freedman Mobility Seating (FMS),” said President Dan Cohen. “Because of their leadership, business acumen, and management skills, we have grown and weathered some tough storms. They have shown themselves to be exemplary and capable leaders.”
Having joined the company in 1996, Nunes exemplifies internal growth and opportunity. Her introduction to manufacturing was that of many young adults at the time: it was simply a job. As she moved through the company from receptionist to customer service, Nunes realized the long-term opportunities available in manufacturing despite being primarily a male-dominated industry, and gained respect from her colleagues across the industry. As Freedman’s director of customer service, she continued to advance the company’s long history of impeccable service. Nunes was then named managing director of the rebranded Freedman Mobility Seating (FMS) following the acquisition of Braun Seating in 2011. Under her leadership, FMS developed a new line of luxury seating products for the growing executive shuttle market. New solutions such as Passenger Protective Equipment have shown the versatility of her leadership, and the ability to meet the industry’s evolving needs while maintaining record sales year-over-year. In her new role, Nunes will oversee manufacturing, customer service, and supply chain operations including purchasing, sourcing, inventory, shipping, and receiving.
Cardone joined Freedman Seating’s engineering team in 2008 as an intern, where he worked his way up to engineering manager. In these roles, he notably worked to improve ESR on-time completion rates, executed product line cost saving initiatives, led multiple projects on Federal Motor Safety Standards, enhanced existing products, and developed new solutions with cross-functional teams.
Cardone was promoted to director of strategy in 2016, a company first. His focus on strategic planning and advancing key success metrics have resulted in measurable strategic objectives and standardized protocols throughout the production process. In his new role, he will oversee engineering, manufacturing engineering, metals production, quality control and testing/compliance, information technology, accounting, and maintenance.
Cardone and Nunes have worked in tandem as directors within production and are key players as the company looks ahead to further invest in advanced manufacturing and its greatest asset, people.
Visit freedmanseating.com for more information.
[02.26.21]
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Are you up to date on your National Limousine Association (NLA) livestreams? The NLA hosted two Facebook Live sessions last week that are valuable to your business and are available on the association’s Facebook page here.
First, NLA President Robert Alexander of RMA Worldwide and Bill Faeth of Limo University explored The Future of the Industry by looking back at the past 12 months and prognosticating the next 12. Alexander reflected on the first year of his presidency, but also his time in the association and the advocacy they have fought for (you can see a list of NLA’s accomplishments in 2020 here). Over the past few years, NLA devoted many of its resources to fighting TNCs, but Alexander said he’d proud, with the endorsement of the Board and the various committees, that the focus has pivoted to celebrating and promoting the chauffeured transportation industry rather than challenging the TNCs. The full session can be heard here.
On the same day, the association held a Board of Directors meeting where executive officers were elected for another term. They are:
President: Robert Alexander of RMA Worldwide
First Vice President: Douglas Schwartz of Executive Ground Transportation
Second Vice President: Tracy Raimer of Windy City Limousine & Bus
Treasurer: Rick Versace of A1A Airport & Limousine Service
Secretary: Brett Barenholtz of Above All Transportation/Boston Car Service/ETS
Catch up on all the latest NLA news from the board meeting here.
The next NLA livestream will be a health insurance session on March 2 at 2:00 p.m. ET. Offering access to health insurance is a groundbreaking benefit for NLA member companies this year, and Alexander will host Terry Gorman of World Insurance Associates to discuss the progress of the program so far and answer any questions about enrollment. Some early quotes have reportedly saved members 30 percent or more. Tune in on the NLA’s Facebook page to listen live.
Visit limo.org for more information.
[02.24.21]