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A Van Hool CX45 motorcoach branded for Echo/AFC Transportation
Houston — ABC Companies is pleased to announce that Echo/AFC Transportation, a privately held ground transportation company in Texas, has added seven new 2019 Van Hool CX45 coaches to its premium fleet of over 300 vehicles. A full-service ground transportation and logistics management firm, Echo/AFC operations span the entire state of Texas, providing group travel services for a full range of tour, charter, shuttle, limo, and commuter services.
“These new coaches are built to a customized specification that will support an elite passenger experience that is the hallmark of the Echo/AFC Transportation brand,” said Echo/AFC Transportation CEO John Ferrari.
The seven newly delivered Van Hool CX45 models offer passenger seating for up to 56 guests with a mix of luxury upgrades, including leather-insert seats, contoured and modified contoured parcel racks with integrated 23” monitors, 110V outlets with USB connectors, and woodgrain flooring throughout. Several of the coaches also feature chrome mirrors, side-view cameras, and three models are fully-ADA compliant with Braun wheelchair lifts.
“Our amenities package is a great investment, as our passengers love the way these coaches look and feel and our drivers appreciate how the coaches handle, and the simplicity of the integrated driver’s dash area is a huge plus for our driving staff,” noted Ferrari.
The new coaches also sport a black tone-on-tone graphics package scheme that prominently features a freshly rebranded corporate logo, which unifies the Echo/AFC brands within a simple and modern design.
“John and his team are incredible to work with,” said ABC Companies Senior Account Manager Greg Gates. “Helping to ensure that the fleet is as modern and reliable as possible is integral to supporting their operational goals.”
Senior Vice President, ABC Financial Services Gregg Goedde
In other ABC news, Chief Executive Officer Dane Cornell announced that Gregg Goedde has been promoted to senior vice president, ABC financial services. Goedde has more than 25 years in the finance and bus and motorcoach industries, where he has built an impressive track record of combining industry knowledge with financial know-how to build solutions for ABC Companies’ customers.
Goedde joined ABC Companies in 1995, where he started overseeing departments such as warranty, service, and Graphics while working closely with Van Hool and product deliveries. This provided him with excellent product, service, and manufacturer experience that played a vital role for his upcoming financial responsibilities at ABC Companies.
When asked what he enjoys most about his position, Goedde said: “It has been so rewarding and exciting to see companies that came to me as a complete start-up, purchasing their first coach, and now are successful multi-generational organizations.”
He attributes his success to a strong network of financial partners that allow ABC Financial Services to be a true solutions provider, helping operators big and small succeed in their business.
“Gregg has been instrumental in ABC Companies’ growth. His dedication and commitment to ABC along with a passion for helping our customers find solutions is really what our company values are all about,” said President and Chief Commercial Officer Roman Cornell.
Visit abc-companies.com for more information
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The 2020 Ford Transit passenger van
Indianapolis — Ford has announced improvements to its best-selling Transit family with smart new technology, advanced driver-assist features and enhanced capability for a wide range of customers whether they use their vans to carry passengers, seek out adventures, or deliver cargo.
“When we introduced Transit five years ago, it immediately became America’s go-to full-size van for fleets, small businesses and large families,” said Mark Buzzell, Ford director, fleet, lease and remarketing operations. “We listened to our commercial and family customers and updated Transit with useful amenities like standard Wi-Fi so kids or crew can stay connected, and helpful driver-assist features like available adaptive cruise control to take the stress out of traffic.”
Upgrades include an available all-wheel-drive system, all-new 2.0-liter EcoBlue bi-turbo I4 diesel, all-new 3.5-liter PFDi V6 gasoline engine with port fuel and direct injection, and new 10-speed automatic transmission, plus new interiors and seating options.
The 2020 Ford Transit offers the most vehicle configurations in its class to help customers specify just the right van for any job. In addition to cargo van, passenger van, chassis cab and cutaway, a new crew van joins the lineup. It can carry five people in two rows of seating with side curtain airbags. Tailored for owners who need to move larger crews plus gear to a job site, the crew van is an enhancement to the 2020 Ford Transit family based on customer feedback.
Because work doesn’t stop when the weather gets bad, Transit offers an intelligent all-wheel-drive system that’s always on to provide enhanced traction on icy, snowy or muddy roads.
“We integrated Transit’s new all-wheel-drive system into the vehicle design early on to ensure it does not raise the load floor or seat height, making this van configuration as easy to enter and exit as the standard rear-wheel-drive model,” said Ray Eyles, Ford Transit chief program engineer. “This is a significant benefit for commercial drivers who are in and out of their vehicles dozens of times a day, as well as for shuttle bus passengers and families.”
In normal mode, this all-wheel-drive system continuously monitors and optimizes torque output with the capability of sending up to 100 percent of available torque to the front wheels to help prevent slipping on loose surfaces. Using the vehicle’s selectable drive modes, the driver can engage mud and ruts or slippery modes at any speed to help increase the all-wheel-drive system’s capability for traveling in challenging conditions. All-wheel drive is available with gasoline powertrains.
Interior of the 2020 Ford Transit
With 2020 Transit chassis cab and cutaway models, customers can also carry more, as the maximum GVWR increases from 10,360 pounds to 11,000 pounds.
New and improved powertrains are designed to meet a wide range of customer needs including advances in fuel efficiency. The all-new 3.5-liter PFDi V6 is the new standard gasoline engine. It features port fuel and direct injection for improved efficiency versus the outgoing 3.7-liter engine. An available all-new 2.0-liter EcoBlue bi-turbo I4 diesel engine is more fuel-efficient and offers more power and torque than the outgoing 3.2-liter diesel engine. It is equipped with Auto Start-Stop and is quieter than its predecessor. Customers can also choose the proven 3.5-liter EcoBoost gas engine, which now includes Auto Start-Stop Technology, as well. Both gas engines can be ordered with dual 250-amp alternators to provide a robust power supply for upfit equipment.
All engines are paired with Ford’s proven 10-speed automatic transmission, which offers a wide span of gear ratios, off-the-line performance, and low engine speeds while highway cruising—all designed to contribute to improved fuel efficiency for model year 2020.
New driver-assist features standard on every 2020 Transit cargo van, crew van, passenger van, cutaway and chassis cab include Pre-Collision Assist with automatic emergency braking and Pedestrian Detection, forward collision warning, post-collision braking, Lane-Keeping System, and auto high-beam headlamps.
Transit passenger van XLT is equipped with Ford Co-Pilot360, which includes the features listed above plus Blind Spot Information System with trailer coverage and cross-traffic alert. A new side sensing system joins the existing reverse sensing system as standard on XLT.
Available enhanced active park assist can simplify maneuvering into parallel or reverse perpendicular parking spots. With the touch of a button, it provides prompts to the driver to manage gear selection, accelerator and braking, while Transit automatically steers itself into place. Enhanced active park assist includes park-out assist, which automatically steers the van out of a space while the driver controls the gear shifter, accelerator and brakes, making for less stress.
Other new driver-assist features available include adaptive cruise control, front and rear split-view camera, and adjustable speed limiting device.
Exterior updates for Transit are subtle but functionally driven. A new power sliding door is available for cargo van and passenger van to make getting loaded up as well as exiting the vehicle easier. Premium high-intensity discharge headlamps with signature LED surround are available. Three grilles will adorn different models in van, chassis cab, and cutaway configurations – a three-bar design with black or chrome bars and an open mesh design for maximum cooling. Vans equipped with the powerful 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine get a larger grille for maximum cooling.
Transit has a new interior with a modern dashboard and features designed to improve comfort and practicality, such as durable new fabrics on the seating surfaces, plus myriad cupholders and compartments for storing gear and gadgets. Grab handles are improved, vents are updated to better direct heated and cooled air, and overall ergonomics are enhanced to make using everything a bit easier. Optional swivel front seats are available for the first time in response to recreational vehicle customer requests.
The upgraded 2020 Ford Transit will ship this fall to Ford’s nationwide network of 3,000 dealers, including more than 675 dedicated Commercial Vehicle Center locations.
Visit fleet.ford.com/limo for more information.
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Chosen Payments President & CEO Jeff Brodsly
San Francisco — The Electronic Transactions Association (ETA) selected Chosen Payments President & CEO Jeff Brodsly for their 2019 Forty Under 40 class, which highlights the game changers at the intersection of payments and technology. The roster includes individuals whose actions and leadership are driving the payments technology industry forward and represent payments—from start to FinTech.
The 2019 Forty Under 40 will be featured in the Spring issue of ETA’s magazine, Transaction Trends, and honored at TRANSACT, the premier event for payment industry professionals, May 30 – April 2, 2019, in Las Vegas. ETA solicited nominations from across the payments industry, seeking talented payments executives under 40. Nominations were submitted from ETA members, TRANSACT exhibitors, and industry leaders.
The final group was selected by the 2018 Forty Under 40 class and the ETA Awards and Recognition committee based on the nominees’ impact on the payments industry and their professional character.
Brodsly began working in the industry as an independent sales agent in 2008. He operated an agent office writing deals under an ISO. He would later become a partner of the ISO when he merged with their 8 year-old company. Sales quadrupled in the first year as he took the company to a new level and eventually split from the partnership. In 2011, the Chosen Payments brand was born. Today, Chosen Payments and its partners, under the corporate umbrella of Aurora Solutions, serve more than 25,000 merchants processing well over $5B annually. The company employs approximately 150 individuals with offices in California, New Hampshire, Arizona, Michigan, Tennessee, and Georgia.
Upon learning he had been named to the Forty Under 40 list Brodsly said, “I am humbly honored to be included with such a prestigious group of people in the industry. It is a true testament to the dedication of serving our clients, being honest and ethical, and maintaining our commitment to delivering White
Glove Service, a mission statement of Chosen Payments.”
Visit electran.org or chosenpayments.com for more information.
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