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Tampa Bay, Fla. — The planned merger between Olympus Limo and Signature Transportation Group that was announced in September is no longer moving forward, according to Olympus CEO Ted Koutsos.
"We had been in discussions for over 9 months on how to make this seamless and equitable for both companies. Unfortunately, the timing is not right for the merger to become a reality,” said Koutsos. "Since starting Olympus Limo in 1996 we have grown to be the largest provider of luxury transportation on the West Coast of Florida, and I am fortunate to have an excellent team in place that manages our three brands. We will continue to focus on our strategic growth initiatives for Olympus Limo, LaLiberty Sedan & Limousine, and All Access Transportation in the Tampa Bay market. In addition, we will continue developing our worldwide affiliate relationships, using technology to improve efficiencies and perfecting the clients’ experience.”
While Olympus Limo and Signature Transportation Group will not be coming together under one umbrella, the two companies will continue operating as trusted affiliate partners servicing the needs of Central Florida. In addition, with both companies striving to provide superior service to their clients by following duty of care obligations and offering new premium vehicles, the shared corporate culture will continue to be the catalyst for success between the two.
Visit olympuslimo.com for more information.
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Winter Garden, Fla. — Prevost, a member of Volvo Group, is very proud to announce the opening of its new service center in Orlando. With this addition, the company’s parts and service network is growing again after the opening of four new service centers in North America last year, totalling 15. In addition, the service network is supported by more than 190 bus certified Volvo Truck locations.
The Orlando service center, which opened for business at the end of August, supports local economy as it required investments of $6 million and plans to hire up to 50 employees. It is a full-service facility and staffed by technicians who are factory trained to work on Prevost, Nova Bus, and Volvo motorcoaches, as well as other motorcoach brands.
“The efforts and investments we make in continually expanding our network of service centers reflect the importance the Volvo Group places on our American customer base,” said Håkan Agnevall, president of Volvo Buses. “We aim not only to satisfy our customers by providing quality, reliable, and sustainable coaches, but also by providing better access to the best services.”
“The opening of this service center is a new demonstration of our commitment to get closer to our customers, meet their needs efficiently and better serve them,” said François Tremblay, vice president and general manager for Prevost. “The Orlando location brings the total of Prevost owned and operated service centers to 15, nearly double the size of the largest competitor network in the North American Market.”
“Our goal is to ensure that our customers have access to our services easily. Thus, by growing the number of service centers and combining them with our fleet of mobile vans, we’re offering to our customers more options, more accessibility and more flexibility,” added Randy Castillo, services network director for Prevost.
“As Mayor of Winter Garden, it is with great enthusiasm that I welcome the opening of the Prevost Service Center here in Winter Garden. I am delighted that we’re able to attract investment from companies of this importance. I'm sure this facilitates continued economic development and demonstrates a true commitment to job creation in our community,” said Mayor John Rees.
Visit prevostcar.com for more information.
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One of Sunshine Shuttle’s BYD electric buses
Santa Rosa Beach, Fla. — Sunshine Shuttle and Limousine has announced plans to bring alternative energy multi-passenger vehicles to NW Florida. The company is working with Build Your Dreams (BYD), a manufacturer of zero-emission passenger vehicles. Thanks to its technology, U.S. companies using BYD vehicles have saved a combined 27,000,000 gallons of fuel. In addition to the fuel, those savings hint at the daily wear and tear on infrastructure due to a decrease in passenger vehicles on the road.
“Take a look at Hwy 98 these days,” said John Finch, CEO of Sunshine Shuttle & Limousine. “Hurricane Michael brought hundreds of contractors commuting back and forth to Panama City everyday. You think traffic is bad now? This will be the new normal if we don’t get our priorities straight. We see this every summer, and there are no signs of it letting up.”
Finch hopes to bring BYD’s technology and vehicles to Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, and Bay Counties.
“I invite all business and government leaders to come see this new vehicle and get a glimpse of NW Florida’s future,” added Finch. “Think of the savings to the state in fuel costs. This is not a pipe dream. Our partner, BYD, is the global leader in battery-electric passenger vehicles, with more than 35,000 buses in service across 200 cities, 50 countries, and six continents.”
In a press release touting California’s new Lancaster plant, Stella Li, president of BYD, said, “We’re proud of our BYD North America team, working every day to produce quality electric transportation that will provide a cleaner environment around the nation. Our model proves that going green can be good for the economy, good for workers, and good for America.”
Added Finch, “The time is right to get moving on this concept. The crowds keep coming and we’re doing nothing about it. The reality is, if we don’t adapt soon, other destinations will, and NW Florida will become like the old Yogi Berra joke, ‘Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded’.”
Visit sunshineshuttle.com for more information.
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