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MCI J4500 motorcoach branded for A-1 Limousine
Des Plaines — Motor Coach Industries (MCI), a U.S. subsidiary of NFI Group, has announced that A-1 Limousine will round out its 20-coach fleet with two 2019 MCI J4500 coaches and two all-new 2019 MCI J3500 coaches. These coaches mark the return to the luxury 35-foot coach market for the Princeton, N.J.-based company. One of A-1’s newest J4500s was the featured MCI coach in American Bus Association (ABA) Foundation Live Auction at ABA Marketplace Jan. 25-29 in Louisville, Ky. Proceeds from the auction event benefit the ABA Foundation’s scholarships and motor coach travel and tourism research.
A-1 President Jeffrey Starr, president of A-1, planned to bid on the newest J4500 at ABA “before I walked in the door,” noting that “I already knew the model’s features and value and won.” The son of founders Michael and Marilyn Starr, Starr helped the family business expand from traditional limousines and vans into motor coaches in the 1990s as corporate clients began asking for ways to move larger groups.
That strategy would begin with MCI pre-owned coaches and a longtime working relationship built with MCI Regional Vice President of Pre-Owned Coach Sales Walter Sturdivant, a 45-year career veteran at the company, and Regional Vice President of New Coach Sales Greg Lukas. Starr explains that MCI quality, person-to-person service, and parts support have kept A-1 loyal.
“Every transportation company owner-operator can agree that an out-of-service vehicle is not only detrimental to the business financially, but we are also unable to meet the needs of our customers,” said Starr. “I’ve always counted on MCI for parts and now under NFI Parts, service is even better.” A-1’s newest coaches, scheduled for delivery later this year, also have Starr looking forward to MCI’s new 35-foot era.
MCI Vice President of New Coach Sales Pat Ziska, says: “We’ve been very proud to help A-1 build this business. Successful limousine operators like A-1 helped us realize that it was time to re-enter the 35-foot coach market with the creation of our new J-Series.”
“MCI builds great buses,” added Starr. “The 2019 J4500 and J3500 designs are fantastic. From the turning radius features on both models to the redesigned spacious interiors for maximum seating capacity, MCI coaches are intelligently engineered.”
A-1 is taking its new J4500 coaches in a roomy 60-seat configuration and its two J3500 with a 44-seat layout. All four coaches will also carry optional programmable multicolor interior lighting and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) that help drivers prevent incidents in highway and local traffic.
These four new J3500s will replace the company’s longtime “F coaches” built by MCI in Mexico more than 20 years ago, and will support a fast-expanding coach business, explains Starr. With nearly 130 mini-buses, vans, and sedans, the company is electing to grow their coach fleet “with a goal of refreshing our motor coaches with two new coaches every few years because that side of our business is really growing,” he explained.
A-1’s culture of personal service and schedule, time-keeping management has made it particularly adept at managing large group travel.
Starr recalls the time his business was responsible for transporting 700 students to an event in Philadelphia that required 175 motor coaches (sourced with nearby operators) with pinpoint drop-off and pick-up schedules of less than a half-hour. A-1 managed it all by placing 30 people on the ground at the right locations and having bus mechanics available to service coaches if required. “We have the know-how, technology, and communication systems in place that helped us complete that move and many others to perfection,” said Starr.
“It’s also about A-1’s staff,” says Starr. With a staff of nearly 250 including drivers, A-1’s longest employee, who ran dispatch over a 55-year career with the company, has just become a consultant on future projects. Additionally, the company’s roots in sedan-based transportation have transferred its chauffeur philosophy to A-1’s coach business. Starr explains that many of A-1’s coach drivers were once sedan and limousine chauffeurs who understand deep, longtime customer relationships and the nuances of personalized on-time service. Each A-1 coach driver receives ongoing safe driver and first aid training throughout the year.
Visit a1limo.com for more information.
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ABC Companies President and Chief Commercial Officer Roman Cornell
Faribault, Minn. — ABC Companies and Van Hool have unveiled a custom clean-air solution to improve interior cabin air-quality on a prototype Van Hool TDX high-capacity, double-deck coach. Thanks to a new custom-built HEPA filtration system developed through a collaboration between the two companies, Northern California commuters can experience filtered clean air on the 45’ motorcoach.
“Our advanced Van Hool TDX model meets and exceeds EPA 16, GHG 17 emission standards for commercial vehicles, so integrating new technology that can further enhance the passenger environment is exciting for our team,” stated ABC Companies President and Chief Commercial Officer Roman Cornell. “Involving customers in the process from inception, including the design phase, is critical to developing successful and innovative new offerings that meet their needs and strengthen our relationships. While indoor air quality is important for the operation of any business, bringing HEPA filtration technology to a mobile environment is the next step for passenger comfort,” he added.
On both sides of the Atlantic, ABC and Van Hool pooled their expertise and resources to source and build a customized system that utilizes cutting-edge HEPA filtration technology. Together with the Van Hool engineering team, the ABC technical department worked closely to specify and fabricate a working prototype to be utilized within their NorCal-based customers’ employee-shuttle fleet operation.
“Confined space and weight limitations were key challenges to product development, mandating a compact design that ultimately located the new HEPA system under-floor in a small portion of the baggage bay area, without compromising existing passenger cabin dimensions,” said Brian Nelson, engineering manager at ABC’s Winter Garden, Fla., facility.
The HEPA filtration unit is equipped with a HEPA filter, two pre-filters and two evaporator blowers that draw outside air through the filters which is then transferred to the TDX lower deck A/C unit where it is circulated throughout the interior of the coach. The new system is designed to offer a significant reduction in particle counts down to the smallest concentration with results being achieved within 20 minutes of operation. Conclusive testing revealed dramatically decreased dust in the interior cabin.
“The new HEPA filtration system is designed to provide numerous benefits in terms of both air quality and equipment performance,” noted Nelson, “specifically in static or heavily congested road conditions where traffic emissions from older vehicles are prevalent and can permeate the passenger cabin”, he says.
In terms of maintenance and equipment performance, Van Hool Engineering Bus and Coach HVAC Specialist Tom Van Lokeren said that HEPA filtration technology can contribute to optimal equipment performance, by helping to maintain a cleaner coil, so that other components like fans, and filters can operate at nominal conditions as designed and potentially extend the service life of HVAC components.
“ABC and Van Hool are focused on transforming great ideas into innovative solutions”, said ABC Companies CEO Dane Cornell. “We are excited to be at the forefront of shaping commercial applications that can lead to substantive change for our customers and our industry”.
Visit abc-companies.com for more information.
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Reston Limousine President and CEO Kristina Bouweiri
Charles Town, W.V. — Potomac Bancshares announced the appointment of Kristina Bouweiri to its Board of Directors effective March 12, 2019.
Bouweiri is the president and CEO of Reston Limousine, a Washington metro area's chauffeured transportation provider headquartered in Loudoun County, Virginia. A long-time resident of Leesburg, Va., Bouweiri is an active member of several community boards and organizations, including the DC Chamber of Commerce, Washington DC Economic Partnership, Northern Virginia Community College, Inova Loudoun Hospital Foundation, and Enterprising Women magazine, among others.
Also named to the Potomac Bancshares Board was Mitesh Kothari, MD, a partner of Capital Women's Care, one of the largest medical practices for female health services in Hagerstown and Washington County, Md.
"The Board of Directors are delighted to announce the addition of these accomplished leaders to our Board. Both Ms. Bouweiri and Dr. Kothari are successful entrepreneurs who have grown their respective businesses to premier levels in the markets they serve," said Dr. Keith Berkeley, chairman. "Their guidance, expertise, and community relationship will be instrumental in helping us meet our full potential in Loudoun County, Va., and Washington County, Md."
Visit restonlimo.com for more information.
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