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VIP Transportation Group’s Barbara White (fourth from left) and Simon White (blue shirt) with members of the Windermere Police Dept.
Windermere, Fla. — As part of the Central Florida Hotel & Lodging Association’s (CFHLA’s) 13th annual Patriot Day 9/11 Adopt a Station event, Simon & Barbara White, co-owners of VIP Transportation Group and VIP Wedding Transportation, recently adopted the Windermere Police Department for a day, and treated their personnel to lunch. This annual tradition allows CFHLA members to commemorate the events of September 11, 2001, and honor local law enforcement, fire rescue, EMS, and hospitality security personnel for above-and-beyond service in the line of duty.
The 9/11 Memorial in Windermere, Fla.
“It only made sense for us to team up with our good friend Stephanie Desaulniers, the owner of the Dixie Cream Cafe, as this is our local breakfast haunt where we host our monthly Rolls-Royce & Bentley Car Club breakfast. Together, our companies are proud to support the Windermere Police Department, and especially on Patriot Day, and give thanks to the proud men and women who serve the city of Windermere,” said Simon, a former British Police Officer.
Officers present at the luncheon included Police Chief David Ogden, Deputy Chief Jennifer Treadwell, and Sgt. Mark Destefano.
Windermere also has a memorial dedicated to the victims of the September 11 attacks in New York City, the Pentagon, and Flight 93. The memorial features a piece of steel from the World Trade Center that fell to the ground among the rubble and debris. Surrounding it are ceramic tiles that honor those who died in the attacks; each person that lost their life had a tile representing their country.
Visit viptg.com for more information.
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MCI’s 2019 J3500 and J4500 motorcoaches
Des Plaines, Ill. — Motor Coach Industries (MCI), a U.S. subsidiary of NFI Group (NFI), expands its 2019 model line up with a great new arrival: a compact new MCI J3500 coach. The new coach is being introduced to meet increasing demand for right sized comfort for smaller groups, niche customers, and new markets. Further, MCI will introduce important advances on the 2019 best-selling MCI J4500 with all electric coming in 2020.
“With the launch of a 35-foot J to all-electric versions of our best-selling models, MCI’s moves are based on feedback from our customers and requirements to meet their marketplace needs,” said MCI President Ian Smart. “Travel by motorcoach is more relevant than ever. Our goal is to help capture new riders by offering a versatile coach product line with innovative features and long-term reliability.”
Featuring all the styling and performance of the 45-foot MCI J4500, the new 2019 MCI J3500 comfortably seats up to 44 passengers with best-in-class interior, baggage capacity among all 35-foot vehicles, and top maneuverability for congested city streets, airport terminals and other busy transportation settings.
“The MCI J4500 built its leadership status as a luxury, high-capacity coach that remains the perfect choice for larger ridership in the tour, charter and shuttle industry,” said MCI Vice President of Marketing and Product Planning Brent Maitland. “But our operators told us they wanted the same luxury and functionality in a coach for smaller-sized groups that offered great maneuverability, a smooth ride and best-in-class payload capacity,” he added. “We think the J3500 and J4500 pairing gives operators real market flexibility. The J3500 coach delivers a ride quality you simply can’t find in a smaller, alternative vehicle. Its overall comfort and best-in-class baggage space can enable everything from ski trip excursions to private executive and employee transport.”
As for its respected sibling, the 2019 MCI J4500 builds on its striking 2018 interior redesign with mechanical and safety upgrades to match, including Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) technology delivered by the optional next-generation Bendix Fusion.
MCI continues serviceability and reliability improvements, along with further enhancements to the award winning interior and best-in-class interior space that offers industry leading legroom and comfort in a 60-seat passenger configuration launched in model year 2018. For 2019, the J4500 also features:
- A new swing-out cooling module e-Fan system improves coach reliability and fuel economy while drastically reducing the time required for service to after treatment sensors and all “hot side” engine components
- The optional next-generation BENDIX WINGMAN FUSION with radar and camera to detect and stop for stationary objects (SVB), including lane departure warning (LDW), following distance alerts (FDA), and traffic sign recognition (TRS) in addition to Adaptive Cruise Control with Braking (ACB) and Collision Mitigation (CMT)
- Several other model year 2019 improvements include enhancements to MCI’s optional 360-degree camera system; added condition air supply vents to the driver’s cockpit; a new sliding upper door for the wheelchair lift; and further adjustments to coach’s back cabin interior to increase passenger comfort.
MCI will officially launch the MCI J3500 coach to the industry during BusCon Expo at the Indianapolis Convention Center October 1-3.
Visit mcicoach.com for more information.
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Owner and CEO Kristina Bouweiri
Dulles, Va. — It’s been an exciting year at Virginia-based Reston Limousine, which has been honored locally with several awards since the beginning of 2018. Most recently, the company was named the Best Travel Experience by the Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Loudoun County’s Favorite Limo Company or Car Service by LoudounNow, Loudoun Times Mirror’s Best Limo/Car Service, and the winner of the CEO Report’s 2018 Washington D.C. Velocity Growth Awards.
Last month, the company was also honored with a resolution from the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors and a congressional record from Honorable Rep. Barbara Comstock; both recognizing the 10th Anniversary of Sterling Women, a monthly women’s networking event, founded by Reston Limousine Owner and CEO Kristina Bouweiri.
Bouweiri says that while 2017 and 2018 were particularly hard on the transportation industry due to a severe shortage of driver applicants, she used a creative multi-pronged approach to hiring. The company has been able to hire more than 120 new drivers since the beginning of the year through their hiring drive.
“Running a transportation business continues to be challenging in this economy due to the nationwide shortage of commercial drivers,” Bouweiri said. “I am so pleased that my team has collectively come up with new and creative ideas for recruiting and retaining drivers; quality drivers remain our company’s number one asset.”
Reston Limousine has also donated over 1 million dollars in transportation to charities and reputable causes since their start including; Juvenile Diabetes, Wounded Warriors, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, The Children's Inn at NIH, and many more.
Visit restonlimo.com for more information.
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