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Des Plaines, Ill. — Motor Coach Industries (MCI) has announced MCI announced Jean-Phillipe “JP” Nadeau has joined MCI as vice president, regional sales Eastern Canada.
Nadeau will be responsible for new coach sales as well as the sale of pre-owned coaches to private and public operators in Quebec and the Maritime provinces. He will be based at the Montreal MCI Sales and Service Center and report to MCI Vice President of New Coach Sales Patricia Ziska.
Nadeau joins MCI following a 10-year career in commercial bus sales, where he progressively advanced in his profession selling both new and pre-owned school buses and minibuses.
“JP’s record of accomplishment and values complements the trust and commitment our MCI sales teams offer in building customer and brand loyalty,” said Ziska. “His work selling new and pre-owned coaches will help our customers meet their precise coach needs, whether it’s the industry-leading J4500, the all-new J3500, or our all-accessible MCI D45 CRT LE featuring our patented low entry vestibule design.”
In other news, MCI has delivered three new 2019 J3500 coaches to Omaha, Neb.-based Arrow Stage Lines, a leading charter and tour operator in the Midwestern United States.
Arrow Stage Lines was among the first to place an order for the 35-foot model, paired with the bestselling J4500 as the new MCI J-Series family. The new 2019 MCI J3500 features best-in-class legroom and baggage capacity among all 35-foot coach models, including a 33-foot turning radius for top maneuverability.
Arrow has stationed the new models at its Omaha, Denver, and Kansas City, Mo. locations.
“A smaller-size luxury coach works best in these markets,” explains Arrow Corporate Operations and Marketing Specialist Alex Busskohl, a fourth-generation leader in this family-run business. “We consider the needs of our customers, and we’ve found some smaller groups see more compact coaches as more space-efficient and environmentally friendly.”
Arrow already has sent its new MCI J3500s out on tour as part of its 250-coach fleet that already includes 102 MCI J4500s and 15 35-foot coach models, including those from other manufacturers.
“Our customers enjoy these new 35-foot MCI models,” added Busskohl. “They make the same luxury, top-of-the line coach statement as our J4500s. And we’re very glad MCI now offers a smaller size coach.”
Arrow ordered its new J3500 coaches with 40-seat passenger capacity for additional legroom—the model also comes in a standard 42- or maximum 44-seat configuration—with leatherette seating by Amaya and MCI’s optional variable lighting package that allows operators to customize the interior look of its coaches to suit clients’ brands and preferences.
Arrow tracks and analyzes its data to improve its overall operations and marketing. Busskohl notes that Arrow uses its on-time performance statistics to win new business and that fuel efficiency is an important metric as fuel is the largest operational expense in a fleet Arrow’s size. H says the J3500 is making important strides in fuel efficiency.
“It’s performing well—even a half-point gain in fuel economy is important to us operationally,” adds Busskohl.
Visit mcicoach.com or arrowstagelines.com for more information.
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Oakdale, Minn. — The Minnesota Chauffeured Transportation Association (MCTA) will be hosting a golf tournament August 4 at Oak Marsh Golf Course to benefit the association.
The day will begin with an 11:30 a.m. registration and lunch, followed by the sporting event’s beginning with a 12:30 p.m. shotgun start and a happy hour with appetizers and prizes at 4:30 p.m.
While the price per golfer is $125 (which includes 18 holes, cart, lunch, happy hour, prizes, and coupon for free 18-hole green fee), a foursome is discounted at $480. Those who wish to attend just lunch and happy hour can pay $50 for each.
MCTA is currently accepting gift and prize donations, and those who wish to sponsor the event have numerous levels to choose from:
Event host sponsor ($1,200): The most prominent company recognition on all promotional materials including electronic invitations, event program and all signage, a hole sponsorship, recognition on golf carts, four golfers (with lunch and happy, and an opportunity to speak at lunch and at the happy hour prize/award presentation.
Lunch sponsor ($800): Company recognition on all promotional materials including electronic invitations, event program and all signage, a hole sponsorship, recognition on golf carts, two golfers (with lunch and happy hour), and an opportunity to speak at lunch.
Happy Hour sponsor ($500): Company recognition on all promotional materials including electronic invitations, event program and all signage, a hole sponsorship, recognition on golf carts, one golfer (with lunch and happy hour), and an opportunity to speak at happy hour.
Cart sponsor ($300): Company recognition on all promotional materials including electronic invitations, event program, and all signage, a hole sponsorship, the most prominent recognition on golf carts, one golfer (with lunch and happy hour).
Prize sponsor ($250): Company recognition on promotional materials such as the event program, all signage, and an opportunity to speak at award/prize presentation.
Hole sponsor ($200): Company recognition on promotional materials such as the event program, and signage recognition on a specific golf hole with the opportunity to appear at the hole to visit with players during the round.
To register, sponsor, donate gifts and/or prizes, or find out more, contact MCTA staff Leslie Rosedahl at LeslieRosedahl@gmail.com or by calling 651.353.1818.
Visit mnlimo.org for more information.
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Massachusetts — This month, the New England Livery Association (NELA) convened for not only its quarterly meeting on June 11 but also its annual Chauffeur Appreciation Day June 13.
Nearly 60 guests came out for the membership meeting at perennial favorite Spinelli’s in Lynnfield, Mass., which featured an incredible view of Suntaug Lake, as well as a chance to get up close and personal with two Don Brown Bus Sales-supplied Starfleet coaches while enjoying a networking cocktail hour and sit-down dinner.
Then NELA Executive Director Rick Szilagyi kicked the meeting off by welcoming all in attendance, thanking the evening’s many sponsors, and announcing the results of the board election:
President: Jason Dornhoffer of United Private Car
1st Vice President: Joe Cardillo of AOT Global
2nd Vice President: Tina Benson of L.A. Limousine Service
Treasurer: Teale Smith of Maine Limousine Service
Secretary: Joe Puleo of Dav El/BostonCoach
Directors: Brett Barenholtz of Boston Car Service/Above All Transportation, Mark Kini of Boston Chauffeur, Tami Saccoccio of Commonwealth Worldwide, Andrew Tighe of Addison Lee (Tristar Division), and Charles Wisniewski of Teddy’s Transportation System
Vendor Directors: Stephen G. Crispo of Research Underwriters and Bob Moody of Acton/SoCal Penske Professional Vehicles
“We’re very happy: NELA, like other membership boards across the country in lots of industries, has had open seats for years. But this time around, we filled five seats—and we’re really excited that we’re filling those seats,” Szilagyi said.
Szilagyi also provided an update on the Transportation Infrastructure Enhancement Fund (TIEF) that NELA helped usher into Massachusetts legislature in August 2016, which “essentially creates a nickel from every TNC run in the state—and it amounts to a lot of nickels.”
“Each of those nickels goes into a fund that is going to assist the taxi and livery industry,” he explained. “It results in about $3M a year for five years: Assuming TNC activity doesn’t decrease, we’re talking at least $15M over those five years. Brett Barenholz and Mike Campbell, as representatives of the NLA board of directors, also spoke about it—Brett, of course, has been a big part of our Massachusetts legislative efforts over the past five years.”
NELA currently has two bills pending this legislative session, one regarding fingerprinting and one on drug testing for TNC drivers. Szilagyi reported that he is “told positive things from insiders.”
Guest speakers included John Boit of The Transportation Alliance (formerly the Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Association), who discussed what the association is doing for luxury ground transportation operators, and featured speaker Ken Cheo of Our Sales Coach, who provided the evening’s education by talking about sales and lead generation in a workshop that encouraged attendees to rely more on existing relationships than cold-calling strangers for truly effective sales.
The meeting ended with a variety of raffles, which included Charles Boute of Elite Livery Services winning a pass to the Chauffeur Driven Show in Boston this October 13-16.
Just two days later, the rainy, chilly conditions was no match for NELA volunteers and the 19th annual Chauffeur Appreciation Day at Logan International Airport. Association members and board officers alike transformed the Boston airport’s Limo Pool into a backyard cookout where chefs and servers prepared hundreds of free burgers, hot dogs, sausages, and veggie burgers for hungry chauffeurs.
The day also includes raffles, entertainment, and plenty of good company.
“People always have a great time,” Szilagyi said. “This year, it was in the upper 50s with so much wind that the rain going sideways. We were wringing wet and cold—but still laughing and having a good time.”
Szilagyi added that the event is absolutely a group effort, but that NELA 2nd Vice President Tina Benson always goes above and beyond to make the day memorable.
“People don’t realize all Tina does for this event with her brother Karl, who isn’t even a part of the industry,” he explained. “A few years ago, they built “a storefront” to use at this event. She hauls that down, fills up a van of sausage, peppers, onions, hot dogs, and hamburgers, and brings a trailer behind it with a grill. And then they cook all day long. They never stop. She deserves tons of credit.”
Next up for NELA is its annual George Colarullo Memorial Golf Tournament Date, which will be held August 6 at Massachusetts’ Marlborough Country Club. The association’s next meeting will be September 10.
Visit nelivery.org for more information.
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