Kellerman Specialty Vehicles Is Backed by Generational Success
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Bryce Kellerman of Platinum Coach has launched Kellerman Specialty Vehicles
The Kellerman family has been a leading manufacturer of professional vehicles for more than 40 years. With an outstanding reputation for high quality and even higher trade-in values, the coachbuilder is ready to enter its boldest stage yet.
Haven’t heard of them? No surprise. Despite being a legacy name, they have primarily converted luxury limousines and elegant hearses for the funeral industry. But the newest Kellerman—Bryce, a University of Cincinnati-educated mechanical engineer—has a plan, and as the only certified Cadillac Master Coachbuilder in the livery industry, he wants to get to work on his new venture: Kellerman Specialty Vehicles.
To understand the next chapter of the Kellerman family of businesses, we must pay homage to its past. Mike Kellerman, patriarch of the Kellerman brands, began his career in the early ’80s as a body-shop man. Mike quickly earned a reputation for fixing (mechanical) and repairing (aesthetics) cars in the Cincinnati area. He started Eagle Coach Company in 1983 and was at the helm until he sold in 2006. To carry on the Kellerman name, he financially backed and assisted his nephew Joe Kellerman with Platinum Coach, his nephew Steve Kellerman with K2 Vehicles, his daughter Lisa Kellerman-Richardson with MK Coach, and his son-in-law James “Slim” Richardson with Amelia Auto Depot, the industry’s refurbishing/repair shop. Now, each family member runs their independently owned and successful business. Combined, the Kellermans are the largest Cadillac converted-vehicle builders; business owners and other family members have a collective 250 years of experience in manufacturing.
The Pinnacle Now ready for its third-generation leadership and vision, Bryce, who is currently on staff at Platinum Coach, is launching Kellerman Specialty Vehicles for the luxury ground transportation/VIP industry.
“We understand that the livery industry has what it needs. We want to learn what the industry wants. What would differentiate one fleet from the next? How could we build something that was considered unique to large operators and conglomerates?” asks Kellerman.
He grew up asking these questions. At age 10, he went to work with his dad, Joe, at Platinum Coach to clean floors, polish cars, and run errands. Later, he took on the responsibility of parts management and service-issue diagnostics. As his engineering education progressed, so did his responsibility at the coachbuilder. He worked three internships in the industry and by the time he graduated, had fully engineered and developed a new Chevrolet Tahoe-based limousine for the livery industry.
Enter new hire Marissa Jenike, a Florida Southern University-educated marketing/finance major who studied the livery industry for her senior project, where she noticed a gap in vehicle offerings. Lamenting the “plain, no peanuts” standard sedan transportation, Jenike wondered what happened to sophisticated limousine transportation of years past.
As youth have a way of infusing new energy into everything, Kellerman and Jenike sought understanding how a few executives would travel in “Cadillac style” today or how a couple would be safely transported for a special evening out. They learned that the OEMs’ programs were no longer as robust as in previous years, that older vehicles weren’t always reliable, and coachbuilders didn’t last long. They wanted to change that.
After speaking with several operators about their needs, anonymously visiting state conventions, and talking with Cadillac about their support, the pair devised a plan to overcome the industry’s past concerns. Following a meeting with Cadillac, they learned that the manufacturer was not only continuing their support, but bringing fresh, innovative products to market. Boasting some of the industry’s lowest warranty costs and best service records, they believed that high-mileage Kellerman vehicles would continue to hold up as they have in other markets, backed by generations of craftsmen.
To assist them in their launch efforts, the pair also tapped former industry veterans for their expertise. Among the star-studded cast who will join Kellerman and Jenike at the CD/NLA Show in Vegas are Angela Jurson, marketing strategist for the Cadillac Professional Vehicle Program, who was at the helm of Cadillac’s livery-market efforts for more than two decades; Mark Leddy, Cadillac’s national fleet sales executive and most recent Cadillac Professional Vehicle Program manager prior to his retirement from General Motors in 2022; and Matt Baines, former president, vice president, and national sales manager for three Cadillac Master Coachbuilders.
Executive8 “We’re all happy to join the Kellermans in this effort,” says Leddy. “Bryce is a bright star to watch. I’ve witnessed his rise at Platinum Coach and he’s very customer-focused and driven to satisfy. He has listened to the customer and developed products that are in direct response to that feedback.”
So, what can operators expect to see from Kellerman Specialty Vehicles? Several new vehicles are in the pipeline and will make their debut on the CD/NLA Show floor.
❱ The Executive8, a Cadillac XT5-based vehicle, stretched 8” behind the B pillar to allow for better entry and egress for the rear seat passengers. Intended for two executives, a family of three, or a couple for standard sedan transportation. The Executive8 will accompany any fleet that requires comfortable transportation that is simply appointed with OEM-upholstered seating, phone-charging ports, enhanced reading lights, and additional legroom.
Rear cabin of the Executive8 ❱ The Executive11, a Cadillac XT6-based vehicle, stretched 11” behind the b-pillar to allow for extended legroom and sophisticated travel. Ease of entry and egress are paramount in this conversion. More elegantly appointed than the Executive8, the Executive11 is intended for luxury transportation for two executive travelers or a couple out for a sophisticated evening. With rear-seat captains’ chairs from Premier Products, retractable desks, ample reading light, and phone charging stations, the Executive11 answers the call for business travel on L.A.’s exhaustive expressways, N.Y./Long Island travel, and eastern seaboard commutes.
❱ The Pinnacle, a Chevrolet Tahoe limousine is stretched 48” and available with multiple seat configurations. Its OEM-leather elegantly wraps the bench seats and/or captains’ chairs, no matter the pairing. On display will be a variation of one bench and two chairs to showcase the available options. Finishing off the conversion are the requested ice chest, drink holders, phone-charging stations, and ample lighting.
❱ Cadillac XT5 and XT6 Limousine Conversions are also in the works:
↹ XT5 Platinum VIP Limousine with a trunk is equipped with forward-facing seats as an alternative for airport pickups and hotel transportation for couples or small groups who may not know one another and don’t want to face each another in awkward, center-facing seating.
↹ XT6 Caché Limousine with hatchback will be equipped with two sets of captains’ chairs for private transportation with a colleague or significant other. In development, the Caché limousine is an elegant solution to the requirements of corporate/personal travel.
As a coda to this ambitious new endeavor, Kellerman and Jenike will also embark on a new chapter in their professional and personal lives: the couple got engaged this past December!
“We’ve developed vehicles based on our initial research, but we’re here to listen to your feedback. We want to understand your needs. Please come check us out in booth #200. If you love what you see, the order banks are open. If you want something different, please challenge us and give us your input. We are large enough to produce volume and small enough to be nimble. We’re listening,” says Kellerman. [CD0225]