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Founded in 1996 by CEO John Cacaccio, Bristol Coach & Limousine is a family-owned and operated company that services Bristol County and the surrounding areas with a 10-vehicle fleet that includes sedans, limousines, and vans. In addition to the nine chauffeurs on staff, Cacaccio points out that each member of the family plays a vital role within the company.
“I do sales, service, and answer the phones. My wife Libby does reservations and dispatch, while my sons Frank, Joe, and Johnny all pitch in with detailing, gassing up cars, and performing airport runs,” he says.
The annual FBA Awards are envisioned as a way to celebrate and recognize the successes of New England’s many family-owned businesses. From those just starting out to businesses that span multi-generations, the awards recognize the determination necessary to launch and build a business with family, and to keep that legacy going through subsequent generations.
“We’ve been in the running for the FBA a number of years, and at one point I considered giving up,” says Caccacio. “Then we got a call from the FBA that said we were a finalist, and they wanted to come down to do an on-camera in-person interview. I got the family together and answered questions about our service and how we give back. We support the schools, the fire dept, and do work with Make a Wish.”
Cacaccio is proud to add the FBA award to the company’s honors. From 2010-2018, Coach & Limousine was named Best Limousine Service in the Sun Chronicle Newspaper Reader’s Choice Awards.
Visit bcclimo.com for more information.
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“On behalf of the NLA Board of Directors, I would like to thank Scott Solombrino for his tireless and unwavering support of the NLA throughout his decades of service to our industry,” wrote Buffo. “As one of the NLA's founding members and a four-term NLA President, Scott has been a constant pillar of leadership and support for not just myself, but so many others on the NLA Board and within this industry.”
In his statement, Buffo congratulated Solombrino on his new position as Executive Director of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), which was announced last month. In a career that spanned more than four decades, Solombrino founded his first company while he was still in college and retired as the longtime president and CEO of Dav El/BostonCoach, one of the largest networks in the industry.
“I hope we will continue to see him at future industry functions. I look forward to honoring his legacy at one of our upcoming partnered events,” added Buffo.
Visit limo.org for more information.
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The event kicked off with a Pre Meeting Networking Cocktail Reception the evening of May 14. Attendees had an opportunity to catch up with old friends and make new ones while gearing up for the next day's big event.
On the meeting day, vendors were already open and ready to show off their vehicles, services, and products an hour before ILLBA President Tracy Raimer of Windy City Limousine & Bus welcomed her statewide, regional, and national industry peers to the first ILLBA annual meeting under its new association name.
And the day’s agenda included education and updates covering everything from a look at the industry itself, regional compliance, and marketing advice.
Once Raimer introduced the 2019-2020 ILLBA board of directors and spoke about the association’s past year and immediate future, the next hour was dedicated to DOT and compliance. John Murphy—a Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP) Compliance Officer with the Illinois Department of Transportation—was joined by Illinois State Police troopers Mark Pietrzyk and Brian Szfranski of Commercial Vehicle Enforcement and the Trooper Passenger Carrier Inspection Team, respectively.
The industry was represented by Florida Limousine Association President and NLA board member Rick Versace of A1A Airplort & Limousine Service and Chauffeur Driven Publisher Chris Weiss, whose hour-long panel explored matters immediately impacting the industry, while also talking about the partnership between NLA and CD that was formalized earlier this year. CD was also a bronze sponsor of the yearly meeting, while Weiss is on the ILLBA board of directors.
Attendees then zeroed in on their companies from a service-selling selling standpoint when Maren Graham of Hudson Software discussed digital marketing’s importance and how operators can maximize its payoffs as part of their marketing efforts. Then Adam Gypalo of the Work Your Way Coalition spoke: The group advocates for flexible working options for Chicago-area employees, as it aims to “educate legislators about the negative impact restrictive scheduling proposals will have on employees, employers and the city.” Formed as a response to the city’s attempts to enforce strict schedules on employees throughout the metropolitan area, the group is trying to fight ordinances that interfere with the inherently last-minute nature of ground transportation.
Before raffling off the day’s prizes and drawings, Deputy Commissioner Rupal Bapat from the City of Chicago Business Affairs and Consumer Protection provided further insight and updates into local concerns.
Among the day's lucky winners was Kathy Kahne of of Windy City Limousine & Bus, who won a pass to the 2019 CD Show in Boston this October 13-16.
Check out the June issue of Chauffeur Driven magazine for expanded coverage of and a ton of photos from this annual event.
Visit illinoislimousineassociation.com for more information.
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