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Vendors In Alliance (VIA) announces the initial stages of the formation of their vendor group. This group of industry vendors/suppliers has emerged to positively influence their respective companies and the livery industry at large.
VIA is a professional group of senior-level executives, committed to cooperation, education, the exchange of ideas, and increased industry buying, resulting in the growth of each member as well as the industry. The group will be facilitated by Rick Szilagyi, owner of Lexian Management, a company specializing in working with small nonprofits since 2001.“This group represents a broad array of products and services instrumental to the overall success of livery companies. We look forward to new ideas emerging from the group, leading to improvements for the livery industry as a whole,” says Szilagyi.
The first meeting of the group will take place on Tuesday, November 4 at the Chauffeur Driven Show in Atlantic City. The initial vendors making up the group are as follows: Chosen Payments, Create-A-Card, Deem Ground, Drive Profit, GroundWidgets, LimoLive24, Livery Coach Solutions, Maxwell Unified Communications, Perfect Chauffeur, Rental Limo, Transcap Insurance, and Trip Tracker.
“We feel there is a need and strong purpose to come together as vendors for the greater good of the industry as a whole” says Jeff Brodsly of Chosen Payments, who has been influential in getting the group started. “We are all successful in our own regard, however success breeds success and if we can collectively work together to have a great impact for: the operators, associations, trade publications, vendors and entire industry this group will be a win-win for all” Brodsly says. VIA will have its formation meeting, introducing the members and discussing the primary focus of the group, and then move forward with planning out the calendar for 2015. Szilagyi will lead the charge with his long-term experience in the nonprofit sector.
Contact Rick Szilagyi at rick@lexian.com or 603.868.7475 for more information about VIA.
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Formerly LimoLand, the recently rebranded company has emerged from the economic slump with a renewed commitment to the livery industry for which it spent roughly three decades building custom vehicles.
“We’ve made it through the tough times, and what kept us going through the downturn was doing everything and anything someone asked us to do,” Marketing and Sales Manager Gary Spaniak says. “We are now coming back to our roots, and we’re currently even in our old building.”
The coachbuilder had once dealt entirely in custom projects, with orders that had them building a CEO-edition Denali for the Emir of Qatar and turning a 1960s Volkswagen Beetle into a four-door, front-to-back updated luxury ride for an Iranian princess. Now, Springfield Coach Group will offer an inventory comprising a variety of its ready-to-purchase custom builds—especially Chrysler 300s, Mercedes-Benz Sprinters, Ford Transits, and Lincoln MKTs—as well as by-request vehicles.
“In the past, it was 100 percent custom,” says Spaniak. “But now we have the ability to build up our inventory, which will not be 50 of the exact same cars. Ours will be a handful of every brand and model: That way, the customer has a variety to choose from instead of being stuck with something if they need a vehicle tomorrow.”
To further demonstrate its faith in the future, the coachbuilder recently saw a drastic personnel increase, jumping from about 15 employees to nearly 40 in a matter of weeks—and, according to Spaniak, the Springfield Coach Group team isn’t done adding talented individuals to its roster. It also now offers a five-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty on its Chryslers.
One thing that hasn’t changed, however, is the company’s customer-first approach to doing business and ensuring that its clients get exactly what they want.
“It’s never just ‘Sign the purchase order and I’ll call you when your car’s done.’ Throughout the whole process, the customer receives updates, pictures, and videos of the car that’s being built for them,” Spaniak says of Springfield Coach Group’s custom-build procedure. “We’re trying to develop a relationship instead of making a sale.”
Visit limoland.com for more information.
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Terlaak joins the company as director of global sales. She first entered the industry in 2009 and has direct experience in all facets of operations including sales, marketing, and affiliate and customer relations.
Baker, who has been in the industry since 2007, joins the company as director of global sourcing. In his previous position, he was integral in growing and maintaining affiliate networks.
“I look forward to Dustin revamping our partner and affiliate network Dustin will use a creative approach to increase both inbound and outbound market share,” says First Class President Barry Beall. “We look forward to Heather expanding our product reach in the market place, in Phoenix and beyond. As we move forward, we will seek to grow our team further.”
Visit fceglobal.com for more information.
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