Cover Art: L to R: Above All/Maine Limousine Operations Manager David Blais, President Kevin Cronin, CEO Brett Barenholtz, and VP of Human Resources Larry White at Portland Head Light in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. Photography by Chris Weiss.
BY SUSAN ROSE
Purchasing a company in Maine wasn’t necessarily on the to-do list of business partners Kevin Cronin and Brett Barenholtz. The team had merged their own companies—Above All Transportation and Boston Car Service, respectively—in 2015, adding several more companies from the Greater Boston area over the years to their portfolio, but they weren’t actively pursuing the Northern New England tier ... until an opportunity arose in 2023.Established in 1987 and well run by husband-and-wife team Teale Smith and Kim Madore-Smith since 2007, Maine Limousine already had an excellent reputation and reliable client base in the Portland area, Maine’s most populated city. The award-winning company was one of the state’s largest, not to mention oldest. Of course, the business partners had known the Smiths through their involvement with the New England Livery Association (NELA), of which Barenholtz is now president, so the 2023 conversation was a happy accident.
“I think they were ready to move on after COVID,” says Barenholtz about the Smiths. “Our offices were only two hours apart, and we could allocate resources out there, so we don’t have to say no to any requests. We just felt there was a really good energy between our two companies, and it worked out great.”
Kevin Cronin (left) and Brett Barenholtz in their Portland Hearts of Pine soccer jerseys The Smiths stayed on for about a month during the transition and are now enjoying other pursuits, although Teale does often get back behind the wheel as a Maine Limousine chauffeur. Located just about 100 miles north of Boston, where both Barenholtz and Cronin are based, the acquisition was the first seasonal market to join the Above All/Boston Car portfolio. The merger was announced in October 2023, which was the perfect timing as Maine was slowing down after their busy summer months—from the end of June to the second week of September—making the transition infinitely easier. Overnight, Maine Limousine’s clients had access to Above All/Boston Car’s wider coverage area that stretched as far south as Connecticut and the New York Metro area. Both Cronin and Barenholtz have spent decades building their affiliate network and ensuring that they are providing consistently reliable service to their partner companies, which now includes Maine Limousine. But the acquisition also meant they had a greater presence north of Boston.
“We were able to go in there and freshen everything up,” says Barenholtz about Maine, noting that the companies share fleet between the offices. “Basically, every vehicle became a new vehicle up there. Now they had motorcoaches, all the way down to trolleys, sedans, SUVs, everything.”
L to R: David Blais, Heather Huntley, Larry White, and Austin Dow “This acquisition is going better than I anticipated. My partner was always extremely positive, but this has outperformed my initial thoughts, which really surprised me,” says Cronin. Maine is undeniably New England, and shares much of its rugged charm and cultural heritage with the lower states in the region, but it’s also very distinct from the hustle and bustle of Boston and other cities along the Northeast Corridor. The urban intensity felt in and around Boston simply vanishes the further north you drive—but with a local economy that has been trending positively in recent years. “I’ve been going to Maine my whole life,” says Barenholtz, who adds that he is a trustee for a camp about an hour from Maine Limousine’s headquarters. “Portland is this incredible and beautiful city. It has grown over the last 20 or 30 years into a very cool town, which is actually attracting many younger people. And many from Boston, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and New York are moving there. There are a lot of resorts, tons of live music, and a thriving waterfront. I don’t know how to describe it, but it’s a small-town feel that is also so connected to nature. It’s a feel-good place. Their coastline is one of the biggest in the whole country, with all these little nooks and crannies, which goes on for hours and hours.”
Chauffeurs John Thomas and Heather Clem at the Ogunquit Playhouse Crossing into Maine from New Hampshire on Interstate 95, the state proudly welcomes visitors to “Vacationland,” an unofficial motto, but also a highly accurate one. Inland you’ll find an unspoiled landscape straight from an L.L. Bean catalog, which is headquartered in the state. Destinations like Martha’s Vineyard and Cape Cod in Massachusetts drive traffic (literally) to the pristine beaches and stately resorts in the summer months, but much more accessible places like Kennebunkport in Maine attract a different type of beachcomber who appreciates windswept cliffs, idyllic lighthouses, and slower pace. Resorts dot the shores up and down the coast, while campgrounds are plentiful within the interior of the state. Despite being the largest state in New England, Maine’s population is only one-fifth of Massachusetts’s population—1.4 million versus 7.1 million—and even that is largely dependent upon the weather.
“This acquisition is going better than I anticipated. My partner was always extremely positive, but this has outperformed my initial thoughts, which really surprised me.” – Kevin Cronin, President of Above All Transportation/Maine Limousine“When you own a company in a market like that, you have to really figure out what to do in the downtime,” says Barenholtz. “It’s always a learning process. Every market is different, every client base is different, and you just have to take it all in. With us, a bunch of our fleet comes back to Boston.”
L to R: Operations Manager David Blais, President Kevin Cronin, CEO Brett Barenholtz, and VP of Human Resources Larry White at Ogunquit Beach, Maine Cronin notes that at the height of the summer season, Maine Limousine might run up to 40 vehicles out of 100 or so across the Above All network with 50-60 chauffeurs on the roster. When the cooler temperatures blow in, many of those chauffeurs who are attracted to the seasonal demand escape to less snowy locales. “We have an incredible quality of chauffeurs there, they are so professional but also so relaxed. I’d say about a third of our staff goes away every winter, which is great because it allows us to still have enough work for our primary chauffeurs, our year-round guys,” says Barenholtz. “A lot of our seasonal staff are retirees who want something to do in the summer and then jet when the winter comes.”
The pair has long worked out their respective roles, with Barenholtz taking the lead on marketing and sales while Cronin handles the magic behind the scenes for all their companies.
“Kevin does the operations piece of everything: the fleet, the daily routine, the repairs. Basically everyone in the office works for him while I am more of the relationship guy. We’re lucky to have each other,” says Barenholtz, who, in addition to his role with NELA, is also the president of the National Limousine Association. “The good thing is, I don’t sleep. I have wider bandwidth than most people, because I’m up until one o’clock in the morning and back up at five, so I have a lot of time to get things done.”
Part of the reason why Maine Limousine works so well is because of the longtime team that was already in place when Barenholtz and Cronin purchased the company. Their local staff have a thorough understanding of the market, which allows the business partners to manage the company remotely, although they frequently travel to the Maine office.
L to R: VP of Human Resources Larry White, Call Center Lead Austin Dow, President Kevin Cronin, CEO Brett Barenholtz, Lead Dispatcher Heather Huntley, and Operations Manager David Blais “The team at Maine is so solid,” says Barenholtz. “David Blais, our operations manager, has been here for 14 years. He’s excellent. He knows the area, he’s consumer friendly, and he’s just a great guy. He’s been someone that we really lean on, and he’s been fantastic. Heather Huntley, our lead dispatch, is awesome and she knows her stuff. She’s very experienced, and she knows a lot about the clients, and actually makes a lot of good recommendations. She’s one of those staff members who can tell you when you’re wrong and suggest a better way to do it, and she’s usually right. Plus, Austin Dow, who heads our call center, was just coming in as we took over. She’s really progressed in her role and has become a key player and integral to the team. Basically, we just had to raise the level of service and equipment. Everything else is falling into place. I’m just thrilled with our staff there.” I’ve been going to Maine my whole life ... Portland is this incredible and beautiful city. It has grown over the last 20 or 30 years into a very cool town. – Brett Barenholtz, CEO of Above All Transportation/Maine Limousine Last May, Larry White joined Maine Limousine as VP of human resources, although his role extends to the other companies under the Above All umbrella as well. White’s industry experience spans decades; he sold his own company about 20 years ago and has been in and out of chauffeured transportation since.
“I’ve been going to Maine my whole life ... Portland is this incredible and beautiful city. It has grown over the last 20 or 30 years into a very cool town.” – Brett Barenholtz, CEO of Above All Transportation/Maine Limousine“Larry knows everything about the industry, and he specializes now in our HR. He did a ton of hiring when he got to Maine, and we needed it. He’s another important person on the team,” says Barenholtz.
In addition to strong seasonal revenue, Maine Limousine also has a steady stream of regular clients that they service year-round, whether it’s corporate; contract shuttle work for companies, private schools, or universities; or retail. Barenholtz also says that sporting events are growing in the region with the success of the Portland Sea Dogs, a minor league baseball team that is the Double-A Affiliate of the Boston Red Sox; the Maine Celtics, the official NBA G League affiliate of the Boston Celtics; as well as the newly formed Portland Hearts of Pine, a popular soccer club established in 2023 that has enjoyed a nearly sold-out Fitzpatrick Stadium in its inaugural season.
L to R: Chauffeurs Jim O’Brien, Heather Clem, and John Thomas at the Nubble Lighthouse in York, Maine The virtually flawless transition has only faced one minor snag—their back-office software—although it can hardly be considered a blip in Cronin’s capable hands. Every company the pair has acquired has come with its own challenges, but this one has been practically painless. “We’re running FASTTRAK up there right now, and Eddie [McCoy] has a fantastic product, but I can’t tell you how many versions of FASTTRAK we actually own because of the companies we’ve bought over the last few years were all running something different. It just takes a little bit of time, but it’s one of those things that we’re used to doing,” says Cronin.
Maine Limousine may not have been on Barenholtz and Cronin’s radar, but it’s been a significant addition to their lineup of companies.
“It was a very strategic acquisition for us because it has given us a lot more work in Northern Massachusetts and New Hampshire than we would have known. It’s been a year and a half, and we couldn’t be happier,” says Barenholtz. “We’re here to service all of New England with first class transportation. It can be Boston, it can be Portland, it can be New Hampshire, it can be Providence. Our affiliates can be rest assured that they have a premium service partner all over New England, no matter where they need it.” [CD0625]
