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NELA Executive Director Rick Szilagyi (left) and President Jason Dornhoffer of United Private Car
Marlborough, Mass.—It was a turnout befitting the 20th year that the New England Livery Association (NELA) has hosted its annual George Colarullo Memorial Golf Tournament: On August 6, more than 90 golfers and over 100 dinner attendees came from all over the country for a day of friendly competition and industry togetherness. Among them was CD Publisher Chris Weiss, as Chauffeur Driven was once again the event’s breakfast sponsor.
With volunteers from the association and industry at large making sure the event began—and then ran—without a hitch, it was a team effort to make sure the golf outing welcomed its second decade with the networking, socializing, and industry solidarity among operators, vendors, friends, and family that the event is known for.
Once the golf tournament was over and everyone was sitting down to the evening’s lavish dinner, the winning teams were announced:
First place: L.A. Limousine’s Team Blue, owned by NELA 2nd Vice President Tina Benson (marking their sixth time taking the top spot!)
Second Place: Team Ace Shuttle
Winner of a pass to the CD/NLA Show Lynda Saitta of Momentum Drives with Chauffeur Driven Publish Chris Weiss
Third Place: L.A. Limousine’s Team Green
Individual prizes were also awarded, which recognized an array of personal accomplishments on the green:
Closest to the Pin (Hole 7): Dawson Rutter of Commonwealth Worldwide at 3 feet, 7.5 inches
Closest to the Pin (Hole 12): Nate Berthiaume
Vegas Hole Prize: NELA Treasurer Teale Smith of Maine Limousine
Longest Drives: Mike Martell and Momo Smith
Orange Ball: Team ROI Consulting (Edward Hewitt, Bob Biagi, Chris Cummings, and Archie Miller)
Supporters came from across the country, including the Canady family from South Carolina, pictured with NELA Immediate Past President Michael Callahan of Able Limousines
The winning streak continued when the day’s haul of prizes was raffled off, which included Lynda Saitta of Momentum Drives winning a pass to the CD/NLA Show in Boston this October 13-16.
Check out the September issue of Chauffeur Driven magazine for expanded coverage of this event—including tons of exclusive photos.
Next up for NELA is its quarterly fall meeting, scheduled for September 10.
Visit nelivery.org for more information.
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Former NLA Board Member Michael Campbell of Grace Limousine & Shuttle Marlton, N.J.—After nearly eight years as an NLA Board member, Michael Campbell of Grace Limousine & Shuttle has resigned from the NLA Board of Directors. It is his intent to focus more on his expanding business.
“I cannot thank Michael enough for his support of Board and myself,” NLA President Gary Buffo of Pure Luxury Transportation wrote in his weekly President’s Message. “While Michael will be missed by us all, we are very excited for Michael's future with his own business and I am sure we will see him back on the NLA Board before long.”
Campbell further explained his decision in a recent email to the NLA Board.
"In my nearly eight years serving with you and with many who came before some of you, I have never been so proud of the character and work ethic displayed by the Board as a whole. I love our tenacity, our optimism, and our ability to roll with the punches," Campbell wrote. "I respect the NLA so much, both the membership and the Board and I thank the Board for the opportunity to learn, to grow, to share, and most importantly, to serve our industry. Every member of our industry, not just our membership, should be incredibly proud and grateful for all of the Board's efforts.”
Jeff Greene of Greene Worldwide Transportation, an NLA Board member since 2012, echoed Buffo’s sentiments.
"We all respect and appreciate everything Michael has done for the industry and the Board. We wish him much success and happiness," he said.
Visit limo.org for more information.
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Pegasus President & CEO Carey Fieldhouse
Louisville, Ky.—R&R Limousine President and CEO Carey Fieldhouse has announced that after 16 years of providing 5-star service to its client base, the company has been rebranded as Pegasus. In addition to the luxury ground transportation company, the firm’s bourbon tour and charter divisions will operate under the Pegaus name as well.
“We determined that we had to become a branded house, as opposed to a house of brands,” says Fieldhouse. “R&R Limousine was a widely recognized name when I purchased the company in 2003. But, as we all know, the term limousine is a fraction of our fleet now. We also had Copper Still Tours, our bourbon tourism division, and Cosmopolitan Couch, which operates our buses. It became a real mess to manage all that.”
Fieldhouse worked with a consultant for a year to determine the company’s new identity. After interviewing staff and clients, and trying to match the company’s services with a name, three names and logos were developed before Pegasus was selected.
“We eventually chose Pegasus because the symbol is very much part of Louisville—because of the Kentucky Derby. And to us, the flying horse implies transportation. Oddly enough, my parents had a company 40 years ago called Pegasus Pedigrees. That name was near and dear to my heart, but I actually never told anyone that before we chose our name. It had emotional impact for me.”
Breaking ground on Pegasus’ new headquarters
The new name has been well received by clients and within the industry, Fieldhouse says. But, perhaps more importantly, the switchover was much smoother than she anticipated. Pegasus is now positioned so that if further services are added, everything will operate under the single umbrella.
With the new name also comes a new home for the company. On August 16, Fieldhouse held a ground-breaking ceremony for Pegasus’ new headquarters. The 15,000-square-foot building will stand on a 3.5-acre property, which is ample enough for the 250 vehicles Pegasus brings in for The Kentucky Derby. The HQ will have 12 private offices, cubicle space for 12 employees, and a chauffeur and employee lounge.
“It’s really going to be a dream come true. We’ve devoted a vast majority of the budget to the people portion of the building, as opposed to the garage, which is a flip flop of what our past buildings have been. Metal doesn’t have emotions or a desire to feel needed to function right—but people do. This building is devoted to employee satisfaction. We have a gym, a humongous employee lounge with a ping-pong table and flat screen TV, and a gigantic kitchen. We do a lot of cooking around here—my husband comes and cooks every Friday. We like to eat a lot,” laughs Fieldhouse.
Pegasus’ new office is planned for completion in January 2020.
Visit takepegasus.com for more information.
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