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“Having zero knowledge of the motorcoach industry, we spent a lot of time researching different brands and companies,” said Courtney West, co-founder of Chariots for Hire. “We chose ABC and Van Hool and never looked back. ABC is easy to work with, they provide great service, and act like a true friend. We have purchased 10 new coaches in the last year to try and keep up with the growth and demand.”
Among the newest additions are two 56-passenger CX45s, which are powered by Detroit 450 HP DD13 engines coupled to Allison B500 six-speed automatic transmissions. They feature an REI Elite Entertainment system with six video monitors, 110-volt outlets, and Van Hool’s unique rear-passenger window and Grande Luxe seating with leather trim. They also boast Van Hool safety features, including three-point seatbelts, backup camera, lane departure warning, antilock brakes, Smartwave Tire Pressure Monitoring, Kidde Fire Suppression Systems, automatic stability control, daytime running lights, curbside lighting, and adaptive static aiming lights. One of the coaches is ADA equipped with a Braun wheelchair lift.
According to Ryhan Cornell, ABC account manager, “Chariots added six Van Hool CX45s at the end of 2016 and two CX45s this year as well as one 40-passenger CX35. [The Chariots team] are very professional and easy to work with. They really understand the business. You can tell how determined they are to offer their customers the best by the way they specified these coaches.”
In other news, Detroit Lakes, Minn.-based Olander Bus Service recently purchased of two 56-passenger refurbished Van Hool C2045 luxury motorcoaches to its fleet.
The two refurbished Van Hool coaches have completely renewed interiors—all new modern fabrics, along with LCD video monitors, WiFi, 110-volt outlets, LED lighting, and distinctive black paint and graphic packages.
“We spent a ton of time planning what amounts to complete custom interiors,” according to Olander Bus Service President Nathan Olander. “That’s where our customers spend their time, and that’s our way of letting them know how much we value them. ABC’s level of service, along with the fact that support is available nearby, made ABC and Van Hool a natural choice.”
ABC Companies Senior Account Manager John McFarlane said, “All of us at ABC are excited about being part of Olander’s growth. This is their first venture into the motorcoach side of the business, and we are looking forward to watching them succeed and thrive. It’s a pleasure working with this wonderful family business. They’ve provided their community with school bus service for generations, and now they’re bringing that attitude and expertise to motorcoaches.”
Visit abc-companies.com for more information.
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The Signum Virtutis Award (seal of excellence) recipients are companies and brands that represent the pinnacle of luxury, hospitality, and lifestyle. CEOs, presidents, managing directors, owners, and general managers of the most exclusive property brands from around the world attend this annual event.
“We are honored to be chosen to be along with the top luxury hotels and services in the world,” explained Anastasios Korovesis, general manager at Limotours Hellas SA. “We are excited to know that our attention to detail and our bespoke service has been noticed through this incredible award.”
The gala was a must-attend event with Greek star Nina Lotsari performing for those in attendance. The awards are known as the “Oscars of Luxury.” The luxury panel of judges consist of top internationally recognized leaders in tourism, lifestyle, and hospitality who are high profiled individuals and well-traveled.
Visit limotours.gr for more information.
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Flynt oversaw the expansion of the Prevost Parts & Service Network to its current position as a leading service network in the industry. “We would like to thank Clay for his dedication and passion. He instilled a lot of trust and team spirit throughout the entire organization and it has been an immense privilege working with him,” said Ralph Acs, president of Nova Bus and Prevost and senior vice president of Volvo Bus for the Americas.
“Guy has been part of the team for the past 26 years and has been instrumental in helping to shape and develop the Services business. We worked together over the last 10 years and helped to build a culture of customer care, customer uptime, parts availability, and growing the service network; including introducing service vans to bring our customer care to the customer’s doorstep,” said Flynt.
“I am very pleased with the announcement of Guy. His extensive experience, knowledge of the business, and care for our customers make [him] the natural choice. Our motto is, ‘We go above and beyond’ for our customers. This is engrained into our team of over 600 employees in services taking care of our customers day in and day out,” said Acs.
“I am honored and excited to be leading our efforts to better serve and support our customers for our three brands, Prevost, Nova Bus, and Volvo. We will continue to strive to keep our industry leading position by offering a larger array of services to help those customers be even more successful,” said French.
In other news, Prevost and Nova Bus joined together in an impressive and interactive exhibit at the recent American Public Transit Association (APTA) Expo held October 9-11 in Atlanta.
Prevost displayed an X3-45 Commuter coach equipped with the new Electric Fan Drive introduced earlier this year. Prevost’s Electric Fan Drive is a fully integrated system that eliminates the need for a belt-driven fan, thereby reducing the engine horsepower required to operate the coach. The end result is an up-to-four percent improvement in fuel economy. A detached fan drive was also available for a closer, more in-depth look.
On display from Nova Bus were the 100 percent electric LFSe model and the LFS CNG. The city of Montreal is currently running LFSe vehicles, which offer rapid and fully automatic charging to keep the fully electric buses on schedule. The CNG vehicle, which features the latest in clean natural gas technology, was on loan from San Antonio’s VIA public transit.
Customers had access to additional product information such as features, benefits and specifications through touchscreen kiosk next to the coaches. In addition, a cutting edge virtual reality exhibit gave attendees the chance to see and experience the new Nova Bus driver’s cockpit area with greatly improved driver visibility, which will be available on some vehicles in 2018.
Furthermore, Prevost and Nova Bus were official sponsors of EXPO Eats, an area where themed food, drinks, and entertainment were offered daily during lunch hours. Themes included BBQ, Taste of Atlanta, and a Beer Garden.
A desk dedicated to Prevost Parts & Service, which also fully supports the needs of Nova Bus customers, was staffed by Prevost Training and Service personnel. Show attendees were able to discuss parts needs and learn about the availability of service training online, in a classroom setting at Prevost facilities and on site at customer locations.
A press conference was held on Tuesday, October 10, to announce the opening of four new service centers, further extending Prevost’s already widespread service network. In recognition of the direction in which the industry is headed, the progress both Prevost and Nova Bus have made in vehicle electrification was also highlighted.
Visit prevostcar.com for more information.
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