- Details
- Category: Industry News
ABC Companies will close its Camden facility in 2020
Faribault, Minn. — ABC Companies, exclusive distributor of Van Hool vehicles in North America and a provider of motorcoach sales, service and technical support announced that it will consolidate its service operations and close the Camden, N.J., facility in March, 2020. The closure is part of the company’s future growth plans to realign and expand its presence in closer proximity to the New York Metro area market.
“The difficult decision to consolidate operations in Camden has been the result of a thorough assessment of our business operations. We are committed to supporting our staff through this transition,” said ABC President & COO Roman Cornell. “We are grateful for the dedication and hard work our employees have contributed over many years.”
The Camden site offers a full range of fleet maintenance and repair services including body shop, mechanical, and technical services. Over the next year, ABC will begin to consolidate operations in Camden as they complete a multi-million renovation at its Jersey City location. Encompassing five acres, the expanded site will double the size of existing operations to include equipment sales, service, and body shop services, and a new 20,000 square foot parts warehouse and sales counter. A full inventory of new and preowned motorcoach models will be available on site for inspection, test drives, and sale, including new ABC Express Van Hool models for fast customer delivery.
“We have been a proud member of the Camden community for the past four decades,” said Senior Vice President/Eastern Region Mike Laffan. “While we reposition our business to meet and exceed the expanding needs of our customer base, we’ll continue to focus on providing high-quality service both during and after the transition.”
Visit abc-companies.com for more information.
[CD0619]
- Details
- Category: Industry News
RLS Fleet Services Co-owners Tony Simon and Kristina Bouweiri
Capitol Heights, Md. — Capitol Coachworks and RLS Fleet Services have completed an agreement to divest Capitol Coachworks’ service division, which operates a 13,000-square-foot facility dedicated to commercial vehicle maintenance and repair, warranty work, body work, inspections, parts for purchase, and fleet maintenance consulting.
Capitol Coachworks Founder and President David Webb will continue to operate the vehicle sales and leasing business units independently. RLS Fleet Services, co-owned by transportation industry veterans Kristina Bouweiri and Tony Simon, has assumed ownership and management of the service unit, including its assets.
“Having had a close professional relationship with Reston Limousine for over 25 years, I knew that a partnership with Kristina and Tony would allow Capitol Coachworks to realize its highest potential,” Webb said.
“We look forward to continuing the same level of exceptional customer service that Capitol Coachworks has been known for since David started the business in 2003,” said Bouweiri, CEO of Reston Limousine.
“We’re excited to offer DC-area transportation operators the opportunity to now utilize a woman-owned business in Prince George’s County for their commercial vehicle maintenance and service needs,” she added.
RLS Fleet Services has implemented changes including hiring a second shift of mechanics to expand operational hours into evening and weekends, filling a niche that better serves owner operators and smaller fleets in the DC metro market.
Bouweiri and Simon also plan to expand maintenance to full fleet management services including bus wash and detailing, and pickup and drop-off services. “With all the changes we have implemented, we fully expect the service division will double its revenue in 12 months,” Bouweiri said.
Capitol Coachworks will be adding Reston Limousine to its list of fleet maintenance clients and will be servicing the operator’s DC and Maryland fleets at its facility in Capitol Heights.
“This acquisition frees up our Sterling facility to take on more maintenance work from other companies and become a profit center for the company,” said Reston Limousine COO Simon. “We also expect to immediately realize cost savings as our Maryland and DC fleets will no longer have to travel to Virginia for maintenance and inspection services – reducing our expenses on fuel, labor, vehicle wear and tear, and tolls.”
Tom Herrick continues as service manager, leading the operations for the company. He has been in that position since 2016, and brings 15 years of experience in the industry to the job.
Johnny Sower, another longtime transportation professional, was hired as the sales and quality assurance manager in April. Sower got his start in the industry 18 years ago and served in management positions starting in 2005.
“Tom and Johnny have experience working in both the front and back offices of leading fleet companies, giving them invaluable perspective for Capitol Coachworks’ clients,” Simon said.
Visit capitolcoachworks.com or restonlimo.com for more information.
[CD0619]
- Details
- Category: Industry News
Black Tie Limousine President Mark Mollica (left) and Grace Limousine and Shuttle President and CEO Michael Campbell Manchester, N.H. — Black Tie Limousine President Mark Mollica and Grace Limousine and Shuttle President and CEO Michael Campbell are pleased to announce Grace’s purchase of Black Tie Limousine. After 36 years of dedication to the chauffeured car industry and success in creating a company known for its preeminent customer service, Mollica will be retiring. With this acquisition, Grace is solidified as the best-in-class provider of ground transportation in New England.
Mollica’s decision to sell Haverhill, Mass.-based Black Tie to Grace was based on the commonalities between the two companies. Known for their healthy business cultures, Grace and Black Tie are powerhouses in the chauffeured car industry. Mollica and Campbell are dynamic leaders, well respected by their peers, who run their companies with vision and integrity. Clients of both companies will benefit from cutting-edge technology, superior customer service, and a combined fleet of late-model sedans, SUVs, limousines, and coaches.
Grace Limousine and Shuttle was founded by Ian Campbell, a disabled American veteran, in 1990. Grace is still family-owned and operated by Ian’s son Michael Campbell as president and CEO. Grace is known for its luxurious vehicles, excellent customer service, and strong commitment to community involvement. Campbell has overseen a healthy period of growth, both in terms of acquisitions and in worldwide reach. He remarked on the significance of this acquisition:
“I was so honored when Mark first called and asked me to consider acquiring Black Tie,” says Campbell. “I know how much this business means to Mark, to his family, and to his long-time employees. Our businesses have enjoyed many years of friendly rivalry, and we only made each other better. I’m excited to honor Mark’s incredible legacy as we take Grace and Black Tie to the next level together.”
Black Tie Limousine has been providing some of the best ground transportation in Boston, Eastern Massachusetts, and all over the world for over three decades. Since Mollica opened Black Tie in 1983, it has grown from a small operation to one of the most prominent limousine companies in Massachusetts. With an extensive fleet, an incredibly professional staff, and a large base of clients that extends across the globe, Black Tie enjoys one of the best reputations in the industry. Approaching four decades as Black Tie’s founder and president, Mollica began to consider selling the company. He knew he would need to find a buyer equally as committed to excellence, and he commented on what Black Tie has meant to him:
“Back in 1983, when Black Tie Limousine was born, it was set up in an apartment with one limousine and an answering machine. To look at where we are today is beyond anything I could have dreamt. Words can’t express how grateful I am for the friendships that I have made through the years with Black Tie team members, industry colleagues, and loyal clients who helped me every step of the way,” says Mollica. “It’s a comfort to know that Mike and the Grace team share the same focus on customer service and will continue that tradition. I am thrilled knowing that Black Tie will be in the very best of hands, which means the world to me.”
Grace’s purchase of Black Tie establishes it as one of the largest chauffeured car/shuttle companies in the United States and in the top five for New England alone. More important than its size and scope is the superlative level of service that will be provided: the convenience and options of a large company with the personal touch of a much smaller one. Grace Limousine and Shuttle and Black Tie Limousine have a shared approach to excellence established by their founders Ian Campbell and Mark Mollica, and Michael Campbell will carry on that legacy at Black Tie as he has at Grace.
Visit gracelimo.com for more information.
[CD0619]