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The meeting began with PRLA President Steve Rhoads of New Rhoads Transportation welcoming attendees to the meeting, and introducing Treasurer Tony Viscusi from Global Limousine, who provided the group with a fiscal report.
Next, Rhoads gave the group a somewhat unhappy update regarding their ongoing battle with the Philadelphia Parking Commission. In recent months, the PRLA has been making significant headway with House Bill 2473, which sought put limousines operators under the same vehicle assessment structure as the TNCs within Philadelphia. In recent months, the bill had made significant headway, passing through three unanimous considerations in the house, ultimately going to the Senate in late September.
“Then we hit a bump in the road,” says Rhoads.
Unfortunately, the bill was passed over during the six voting sessions that were held in the State House, killing it entirely. With the end of the year approaching, it appears that the Senate is reluctant to vote on anything deemed “controversial.”
“While much of our hard work—and money—has been essentially wasted, we’re not giving up. Right now we’re trying to determine which direction we’re going to take,” says Rhoads.
With the many of the bill’s supporters not returning next term, most significantly its sponsor Representative Robert W. Godshall, who is retiring, the PRLA will likely be forced to start again with a new bill. Given the unanimous approval their proposal was met with in the house, this will likely be a minor setback for the association and Philadelphia-area ground transportation providers.
After dinner, Pete Corelli from Lakeview Custom Coach welcomed guest Bill Battisti from Battisti Customs, who spoke about his product line to the operators in attendance. Corelli had vehicles on-hand at the restaurant, which were available for first-hand viewing.
Finally, the meeting ended with the election of three new members to the PRLA board. It was announced that Mike Barreto of Eagle Chauffeured Services, Tracy Salinger of Unique Transportation, and Bob Euler, Jr. of King Limousine and Transportation, will replace outgoing board members Anthony Onorata of Anthony Limousine, Chris Haines of Michael's Classic Limousine, and Rhoads, who is stepping down after a distinguished term as president. The current board will remain in place until January 1, and then new officer elections will take place early in 2019.
“It’s time to get some new blood in there,” says Rhoads. “They have fire in their bellies, which is good for the organization.”
Visit prlainc.com for more information.
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Tom Miller, president and CEO of Regency, will maintain his current position. Louis R. Weiner, president of All Star Limousines, will also maintain his current position, in addition to taking on the role of executive vice president at Regency.
“Regency is known for our consistently high-quality service and drive to evolve our business to meet our clients’ needs. With All Star Limousines now part of the Regency family of companies, we can provide improved capabilities to better serve our clients, advanced booking solutions, better customer support, and more,” said Miller. “We are thrilled to have All Star Limousines join our organization. With our combined teams, this merger gives us a greater ability to scale our operations and meet the ever-changing needs of our clients.”
Regency and All Star Limousines are both fully integrated chauffeured transportation operators with services available throughout the world. Each company has been established for over 25 years and both have become well recognized for their exceptionally high-levels of service.
“As All Star Limousines continues to grow, so does our need to improve and streamline our operations. Becoming a part of Regency will allow us to create more sustainable growth, giving us the ability to continually enhance our services, which include technological growth, fleet expansion, and human resources,” said Weiner. “We’re truly excited to merge with such an established organization, and look forward to a very successful future for both of our teams.”
To create organizational synergy between Regency and All Star Limousines, both companies will be based in one building. From the office staff to the chauffeurs, all employees will work together as one team.
Visit regencytransportation.com for more information.
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Mike Pinckard, who just ended his one-year term, made strategic planning a central part of his 2017-2018 TLPA presidency.
“TLPA will be the go-to resource for a wider audience than ever before, and with a perspective that shapes today’s transportation world,” said Pinckard, who delivered his final address to association members as they gathered for the group’s landmark 100th Annual Convention & Trade Show in Las Vegas.
After a year of thought-provoking planning sessions to identify the road ahead into the next decades, the TLPA’s vision for the future now rests on four key pillars:
- Expanding membership by “broadening the tent” to include a more diverse cross section of industry stakeholders and thought leaders.
- Leading the industry with strategies for increased safety, convenience and sustainable environmental practices.
- Identifying the best innovative practices that increase members’ profitability.
- Enhancing drivers’ image and performance.
Also during the centennial convention, Kansas City transportation executive Terry O’Toole of Transdev On Demand was elected as TLPA’s new president. O’Toole, overwhelmingly elected by voice vote from the rank-and-file membership, was immediately sworn in to serve a one-year term until October 2019.
In his acceptance speech, O’Toole outlined his platform for presidency, which includes broadening membership, expanding member services, improving driver professionalism, and honing TLPA’s leadership as a unified voice of the industry.
“The transportation landscape is expanding, not shrinking,” O’Toole said. “Our industry is evolving in exciting ways that are filled with opportunity. With an invigorated association, and with the incredible knowledge and know-how of our members, our industry will thrive in the years ahead.”
The transportation industry has been a part of O’Toole’s family history dating back to the late 1800s, when his great-grandfather and his brothers owned street cars in Kansas City. While O’Toole did not grow up in the industry, he became general manager for Kansas City Transportation, owned by businessman Bill George, in 2001.
“Bill encouraged me to experiment with ideas to see what worked,” O’Toole said. “He also taught me that this business is about people, and about how you treat people, whether drivers, or employees or customers. They are all equally important in the chain.”
Visit tlpa.org for more information.
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