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Thousands of Prevost employees, customers, suppliers, government officials, and local dignitaries recently celebrated the 100th anniversary of Prevost. The gathering took place in Sainte-Claire, the small town where Eugène Prévost founded the company in 1924.
Prevost employees celebrate the company’s 100th anniversary.
“The success of Prevost is due to our committed employees and loyal customers – many of whom have been with us for generations,” said Prevost and Volvo Group Canada President François Tremblay. “The anniversary is an opportunity to recognize them while honoring the legacy of Eugène Prévost.”
Additionally, in the week prior, 165 Prevost motorhome owners traveled hundreds, and in some cases thousands, of miles to Québec City to take part in a multi-day 100 Year Anniversary Rally.
The September 14 event was the culmination of nine months of activities that took place throughout Canada and the United States. The 100th anniversary celebration in Sainte-Claire included Prevost factory tours, visits to the Prevost museum, and a special appearance by “Clarisse,” along with food and entertainment.
Clarisse is a hand-built replica of the wooden body coach that Eugène Prévost fashioned. For years, it was the dream of André Turmel, one of Eugène’s grandsons, to recreate the very first Prevost ever made.
As the 100th anniversary approached, the family worked together to make the dream a reality. The project was a labor of love that spanned three generations. The name “Clarisse” was chosen to honor Eugène’s wife who was his biggest champion and tireless supporter.
Coincidentally, Prevost and Sainte-Claire are celebrating anniversaries that mark 100 and 200 years, respectively. Sainte-Claire was founded in 1824, followed by Prevost a century later.
Since January, Prevost has chronicled its 100th anniversary on its website (Prevostcar.com) and on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and X. Through videos, images, stories and recollections, the company has captured the history and future of Prevost.
Visit prevostcar.com for more information.
[09.19.24]
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The Limousine Association of New Jersey (LANJ) welcomed 60 members and guests to their fall meeting, held September 17 at the NJHA Conference Center in Princeton. Chief among the announcements made at the event was the decision to rebrand the long-time association as the Chauffeured Transportation Association of New Jersey (CTANJ). The name change was ratified with a majority vote.
L to R: CTANJ Secretary Jason Sharenow of Broadway Elite Worldwide, CD President Chris Weiss, and CTANJ Treasurer Barry Trabb of Complete Fleet Livery Sales
“Retiring the term 'limousine' is a deliberate step toward aligning our name with the broad spectrum of chauffeured transportation services our members offer,” states CTANJ President Mike Rose of My Limousine Service. “Our association has expanded far beyond the traditional scope of limousine services. We now encompass a variety of vehicles, ranging from intimate sedans for two passengers to large 56-passenger motorcoaches. The new name, Chauffeured Transportation Association of New Jersey, better encapsulates the full range of our capabilities and services.”
CD Editor Rob Smentek and NLA Deputy Executive Director Sarah Mercer
CTANJ aims to represent all facets of the chauffeured transportation industry, acknowledging the advancements in vehicle technology and the expanding needs of clients. The rebranding reflects the association’s commitment to inclusivity and adaptability in a rapidly changing market.
Also announced by Rose during his LANJ Report was the hiring of a new lobbying firm—Princeton Public Affairs—to represent the association in its legislative matters. Other news included a new text messaging app for members to receive updates and the re-formation of the Be Driven Safety Campaign, which is designed to differentiate the industry from TNCs and illegal, unlicensed operators. Rose also shared that the Barbara J. Chirico Scholarship Fund raised an impressive $6,500, which was distributed to the children of association members.
CTANJ President Mike Rose of My Limousine Service (left) with Former Board Member Pete Corelli
Next, LANJ Founding Member Pete Corelli was recognized for his more than 20 years of service. Corelli stepped down as board member earlier this year but had been instrumental in getting various legislation passed during his long tenure as PAC chair. After being presented with a plaque for his years of service, Corelli was visibly moved and said his time with LANJ was an “enjoyable trip.” Rose then called Corelli a “true inspiration and great friend.”
L to R: Carl Restivo of Advantage Remarketing Solutions, Bob Sciavo of Albert’s Limousine, and Chris Weiss
2nd Vice President Jeffrey Cartagena of Leros Transportation Group was then given the podium to announce 12 new operator members, nine new vendor members, and a new affiliate member, Elegance Limousine out of New Mexico. He also shared a bit about the various affinity programs that are available to association members, including money saving on products, services, and marketing opportunities.
L to R: John Arone of Acrisure Insurance, CTANJ Board Member Jason Messinger of BBZ Limousine, Shady Azar of Gem Limousine, and Rob Smentek
Next, 1st Vice President Joe Gulino of Gem Limousine introduced the afternoon’s guest speaker Carl Zev of Zev University. The experienced coach and trainer shared about his program, which helps business owners manage stress and promotes a healthy work/life balance. Zev shared that he was amazed at the moving parts required to successfully manage our industry, and emphasized the importance of good health, particularly for operators that work long, hard hours.
CTANJ 1st Vice President Joe Gulino of Gem Limousine (left) and Carl Zev of Zev University
The meeting continued with a few short words from Past President Jeff Shanker of Black Tie Transportation, who encouraged members to consider joining the American Bus Association (ABA). Shanker serves as a member of the ABA Bus Industry Safety Council and promoted the February ABA Marketplace meeting in Philadelphia.
The final speaker for the day was CD President Chris Weiss, who was invited to share a bit about the upcoming CD/NLA Show at the Gaylord National on October 13-16. Weiss suggested that new attendees take part in the show’s popular Operator Mentoring Program, suggesting that the session alone offers takeaway worthy of the cost of the show. He also promoted the revamped Association Summit, which will focus on the insurance crisis faced by operators from around the country.
The next meeting for the CTANJ is their Holiday Party to be held December 10 at a location to be announced.
Visit lanj.org for more information.
[09.19.24]
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- Category: Industry News
Cybersecurity firm SensCy recently released their SMO Cybersecurity Readiness Report, which uses 2023 data from small and medium-size businesses (SMOs) across various sectors nationwide. The report explored cybersecurity assessments—based on the National Institute of Technology Standards (NIST) framework—of hundreds of businesses with fewer than 1,000 employees, measuring their ability to identify and protect their organization against online threats as well as their action plan should an attack happen.
Co-founder Dave Kelly
The report was published just ahead of October’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Ultimately, the report concluded: “With alarming statistics on insufficient cyber insurance, inadequate training, and weak incident response plans, this report underscores the urgent need for enhanced cybersecurity measures.”
According to the findings, a staggering 77 percent of SMOs assessed did not follow baseline cybersecurity practices, leaving them vulnerable to scams, phishing, and ransomware attacks. SensCy notes that cyberattacks on SMOs have escalated, up 424 percent in 2023 from the previous year.
Co-founder David Behen
Additionally, nearly 45 percent of respondents said they did not conduct any internal or external vulnerability scans, while 65 percent of companies indicated that they had no formal policies to train employees to be aware of these types of threats.
While the report is indeed alarming, there were some bright spots that SMOs are taking their security seriously: 70 percent of respondents had a firewall in place, and companies that adopted best practices were able to improve their score by 4X to 10X within a matter of months.
The full report is available here.
SensCy—a portmanteau of “sensible cyber”—was founded by former two-term Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, who also has extensive experience in corporate America as a venture capitalist as well as president and chairman of PC manufacturer Gateway. He, along with his two other founders, Dave Kelly, SensCy CTO and former Commander of the Michigan Cyber Command Center, and David Behen, SensCy’s Chief Client Success Offer and former CIO of the State of Michigan and La-Z-Boy, built SensCy to help arm small and medium-size businesses create and implement proactive cyber programs with easy-to-understand solutions to better protect them against online attacks. Collectively, the SensCy executive team has more than a century of IT and cybersecurity experience.
Using their proprietary SensCy Score, which measures points of vulnerability within an organization, SensCy offers custom guidance to reduce risk, implement safeguards, and nurture a culture of awareness in case of an attack. You can assess your own company with their free online test here.
Visit senscy.com for more information.
[09.17.24]