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National Tire Concierge Services (NTCS) has partnered with the National Limousine Association (NLA) to provide an affinity program exclusively for NLA Members, to become the chauffeured transportation industry’s gateway to value-added products, services, and savings. Utilizing the tire brands (Michelin, BFGoodrich, and Uniroyal tires) of the world’s premier tire manufacturer—Michelin North America—NTCS is primed to offer their best-in-class tire program to all chauffeured transportation operators.
NTCS CEO and President David Ward
With more than 45 years in the tire and automotive industry, NTCS is fully engaged in providing their customers with special and competitive nationwide pricing, along with their prized concierge services. NTCS will not only troubleshoot both tire and dealer issues on your behalf, but search for tires, book your installations, and whatever else they can do to make your tire purchases “stress free.” Building on their mantra to “bring tire cost efficiencies and services to all fleet vehicle owner/operators,” NTCS focuses on fleet solutions for the small to mid- to large-sized fleets primarily in the chauffeured Transportation, OTR and recreational vehicle industries. Its products include road hazard warranty, telemedicine, discount drug Rx card, full-service motorhome warranty, RV technical assistance program, WiFi and most importantly, their premier National Tire & Service Fleet Card Program.
Michelin CrossClimate Agilis and CrossClimate 2 tires
As an added benefit in support of the NLA, NTCS will also provide a rebate to the association for each signup and for every tire purchased.
With the NTCS National Fleet Card, chauffeured transportation operators across the country can now obtain their tires through authorized local Michelin dealers, and get the competitive account price. Additionally, NTCS is proud to bring a new “star” to the chauffeured transportation industry, the Michelin CrossClimate Agilis and CrossClimate 2 tires. Each is offered at competitive pricing and guaranteed to give you the most advanced and versatile passenger tires in 20 years, along with a new and distinct V-formation tread pattern that excels safely in more climate and road conditions than other competitors. Adding yet another level of safety for both the limo operators and their customers.
As one operator shared with David Ward, CEO and president of NTCS, “after using the Fleet Card, I could not believe how easy it was to purchase all the tires I needed in one place, did not have to hunt for them and had the installation pre-booked by David Ward. Working with NTCS is going to make my life so much easier. “
The NTCS National Fleet Card continues the direction for the company of offering products & services designed specifically for the fleet operator to have a national team on their side.
Visit limo.org for more information.
[12.30.20]
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This past November, Chauffeur Driven and the National Limousine Association were thrilled to be able to offer the industry two days of timely education along with some much-needed networking and socializing during our first-ever CD/NLA Virtual. It wasn’t the in-person fall event we all craved, but seeing our industry peers adapt and interact in a 2020 kind of way was encouraging.
The good news? The session recordings are now available, so you can catch up on anything you may have missed during the two-day event—and there was plenty of information worthy of another listen. If you registered, you will receive a login and password via email so that you can access the more than a dozen sessions and get motivated all over again! (If you did not receive your login, email info@limo.org for assistance.)
Didn’t get a chance to join us? Worry not, because the recordings are now available to all non-attendees. For only $79 (NLA member)/$99 (non-NLA member), you’ll have access to hours of seminars—which you can listen to at your pace—like Diversifying Your Offerings & Changing Your Mindset to Survive and Thrive, Long-Term Financial Planning & Forecasting to Move Forward, FMCSA Update: How to Reboot Safely and Legally, and Practicing Real Self-Care in Challenging Times. You’ll hear candid and timely advice from CD President Chris Weiss, NLA President Robert Alexander of RMA Worldwide, and dozens of other knowledgeable industry leaders—including popular sessions from Bill Faeth of Limo University. Looking for a research-backed snapshot of what’s happening in the business world? You’ll definitely want to check out our buzzworthy State of the Industry and Economic Forecast, delivered by Roger Dow of the U.S. Travel Association and economist Christopher Thornberg. Let motivational speaker Mary Crafts inspire you that anything is possible as she did for attendees of the Women in the Industry event. If you’re serious about fighting on another day, these sessions will help lift you out of the survival rut so you can start preparing for the rebirth of your business. We packed plenty of takeaway value into our event so that you can come back stronger than ever.
CD/NLA Virtual would not have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors, specifically Platinum Sponsors Ford/Lincoln Limousine & Livery Vehicles and Lancer Insurance; Gold Sponsor Chosen Payments; Silver Sponsors Cadillac and Curtis Gabriel; and Bronze Sponsors Above All Transportation/Boston Car Service, Dolphin Transportation Specialists, The Driver Provider, and Fari VIP Design.
Also, special thanks to our CD/NLA Show Education Committee—co-chaired by Tracy Raimer of Windy City Limousine & Bus and Jason Sharenow of Broadway Elite Worldwide (our moderator supreme!)—for upping the game and winnowing down the list of smart and important topics for today’s economic reality.
For more information on how to access or purchase your pass to hear the sessions, visit cdnlavirtual.com. If you attended Virtual and did not receive your emailed login, email info@limo.org for assistance.
[12.23.20]
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More than three dozen guests joined the Illinois Limousine & Bus Association’s (ILLBA’s) Coffee With ILLBA meeting on December 15, the last of the calendar year. This month’s theme—Navigating the Cash Crunch—was the next in a series of educational sessions that have included topics such as insurance and networking during COVID. Guest speakers for this installment included Kathy Kahne of Windy City Limousine and Sarah Mercer of the National Limousine Association.
December Coffee With ILLBA "Navigating the Cash Crunch"
Following opening remarks from ILLBA’s newly elected President Arthur Rento of Ponterelli Companies, Vice President Tracy Raimer (former president) of Windy City Limousine & Bus, and Executive Director/Secretary/Treasurer Paula DeBiasi of Chicago Coachworks, Kahne offered her tips to continue to cut expenses and keep an eagle eye on cash flow, which includes a weekly check of P&Ls and frequently renegotiating terms with vendors and creditors. Drawing from her own experiences over the past nine months, Kahne shared her trials and tribulations from having to lay off staff back in March to the mostly positive interactions she’s had with her financial institutions and other lenders—as well as the not-so-positive. While she’s overall optimistic that corporate travel is going to return due to the pent-up urge for business travelers to get back out on the road, she’s retooling her business to run lean and mean even when times are better. Among the options she is imminently implementing is outsourcing and sharing resources with other operations, whether it’s dispatching, reservations, chauffeurs, or even accounting. It’s a trend that she feels will save many of her industry peers who are also searching for novel places to squeeze out some cash.
Keeping with the theme of saving money, Sarah Mercer of the NLA spoke about the national association’s Affinity Program, a legacy benefit that offers members discounts on products and services that they need to run their businesses. The range of discount partners is quite broad—from everyday needs such as tires, software, and mobile services, to chauffeur training and background checking, which she says can easily outweigh the cost of NLA membership. The NLA also recently announced that it will offer a health insurance plan to members in 2021, which has the potential to be a game-changer for many companies shouldering this costly line item expense.
Earlier in the month, the ILLBA Board of Directors also selected officers to serve for the 2020-2021 term.
They are:
President: Arthur Rento of Pontarelli Companies
Vice President: Tracy Raimer of Windy City Limousine & Bus
Secretary: Paula DeBiasi of Chicago CoachWorks
Treasurer: Brian Sheely of Epic Limo
The next ILLBA Zoom meeting is scheduled for January 12, 2021.
Visit illinoislimousineassociation.com for more information.
[12.22.20]