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The LANJ board welcomed attendees from all over the country to its most recent meeting Englewood Cliffs, N.J. — The Limousine Association of New Jersey (LANJ) welcomed a packed house to its March 28 meeting at Englewood Cliffs Cadillac when nearly 100 attendees traveled from all across the state as well as Pennsylvania, New York, Virginia, and California for the event. CD Editor Madeleine Maccar and Industry & Brand Ambassador Philip Jagiela were among the members and supporters who were on hand for the meeting.
After the Englewood Cliffs Cadillac team put out a buffet lunch to kick off the afternoon meeting, the dealership’s Livery Manager Bill Fellbaum offered his greetings, support, and ongoing assistance to not only those in attendance but also the industry at large.
LANJ President Jason Sharenow of Broadway Elite Worldwide then delivered The LANJ Report, which detailed the many legislative battles and changes the association is fighting for its members’ benefit.
Keynote Speaker Scott Solombrino of Dav El/BostonCoach With newly installed Governor Phil Murphy looking to overturn several bills signed into law by his predecessor Chris Christie, it is feared that the tax relief transportation providers have seen these past few months is slated to be bumped back up to 7 percent, rather than the current 6.25 percent.
Other areas of concern included the proposal to raise minimum wage to $15, as well as the paid sick leave bill—which allows employees to accrue one hour of bankable time off for prolonged illness for every 30 hours they work—that recently passed through the Assembly and is expected to sail through Senate.
With a new attorney general and several industry-sympathetic legislators still in the state capital of Trenton, however, LANJ is optimistic about the future it will aggressively pursue for the benefit of not only its members but also their passengers’ safety.
“LANJ will not stop fighting for you in Trenton,” Sharenow promised attendees. “I will make sure our voices are heard.”
Michael Renehan of Concorde Worldwide (center) won a pass to the CD Executive Retreat in San Diego, which was raffled off by Editor Madeleine Maccar and Industry & Brand Ambassador Philip Jagiela First Vice President/Treasurer Jon Epstein of Royal Coachman Worldwide, who also serves as the association’s Membership Committee Co-chair with Barry Trabb of Complete Fleet Livery Sales, then spoke about the importance of presenting a unified front and stepping up to help LANJ continually serve as a vehicle of activism for the industry at a statewide level.
“We can’t do any of this without the board and active members we have,” he said.
That sentiment was immediately echoed when the afternoon’s Keynote Speaker Scott Solombrino of Dav El/BostonCoach took to the podium.
“There is nothing more important than volunteerism in your industry,” Solombrino said. “Those are the people who show up and keep fighting those fights for you. The threats to our industry are enormous and we only have a chance if you all show up.”
More than 100 members and supporters attended the March 28 meeting at Englewood Cliffs Cadillac Solombrino’s speech touched on myriad topics that are keenly relevant in today’s ever-shifting operational landscape. Among them: the NLA’s PSA campaign with Pamela Anderson as its spokeswoman advocating for passenger safety through better understanding of TNCs’ protective shortcomings; how fingerprinting laws differ among neighboring states; labor laws and their accompanying regulations; tax cuts; the importance of donating either time or money to worthy causes—“or both if you’re really dedicated”; automated vehicles; and how the NLA is working on a national level to support its far-flung membership base.
At the heart of his message was that it is ultimately “people who still make things happen—not technology.”
“I think we can win against the TNCs because we’re on the right side of history,” said Solombrino. “You can survive this battle because nothing can replace the level of service we provide to our customers.”
LANJ President Jason Sharenow of Broadway Elite Worldwide After an impassioned Q&A between Solombrino and several meeting attendees, Sharenow spoke about LANJ’s upcoming dinner gala, calling for auction items to be donated for the evening’s fundraiser. The association’s second annual Golf Outing is also currently open to players and those just looking to spend the day with their industry peers.
At the end of the meeting, Jagiela and Maccar raffled off a pass to Chauffeur Driven’s May 6-8 Executive Retreat in San Diego, which was won by Michael Renehan of Concorde Worldwide.
LANJ’s next event will be its May 16 Dinner and Auction Gala at the Wilshire Grand Hotel in West Orange. Its Golf Outing is scheduled for September 17 at Cherry Valley Country Club in Skillman.
Visit lanj.org for more information.
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CEO David Seelinger
Secaucus, N.J. — EmpireCLS Worldwide Chauffeured Services has announced the acquisition of Wilshire Chauffeured Services, a leading provider of luxury chauffeured services. EmpireCLS sees the addition of Wilshire Chauffeured Services as an opportunity to expand its services in the Los Angeles area, as well as enhance its technology offerings through the company’s advanced software system, which is currently undergoing significant client-facing upgrades. Clients of Wilshire Chauffeured Services will also benefit from EmpireCLS’s extensive network of affiliates in over 1,000 cities around the world, which as a result, will reduce estimated arrival times for on-demand reservations.
“EmpireCLS prides itself on accepting nothing less than stringent hospitality standards for our fleet and chauffeurs, and our clients select us for our commitment to providing the same professional service they expect from the world’s best airlines and five-star hotels,” said EmpireCLS CEO David Seelinger. “With an impressive book of business built through delivering consistent first-class service and maintaining a relationship-focused culture, Wilshire Chauffeured Services is an ideal fit for our company. We’re excited to have them onboard and look forward to providing their long-standing clients with the high quality service that they’ve become accustomed to.”
Established in 2007 as a division of Southern California-based rental company Midway Car Rental, Wilshire Chauffeured Services provided services in over 650 cities worldwide, with bases of operations in Los Angeles and New York.
Visit EmpireCLS.com for more information.
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Meeting Host Dean Farmer of Sonny Merryman
Bristow, Va. — More than 30 members and supporters attended the April 2 Virginia Limousine Association (VLA) general meeting at vendor member Sonny Merryman’s headquarters. Among them was CD Industry & Brand Ambassador Philip Jagiela, who also serves as Executive Director of the VLA.
The meeting kicked off as a social event, complete with a catered lunch serving up Southern fare, before meeting host Dean Farmer offered a facility tour complete with several vehicles on display.
VLA President Paul Walsh of Superior Executive Transportation then welcomed everyone before board introductions and VLA Treasurer Randy Allen of James Limousine Service presented the association’s financial report.
L to R: Eric Ampedu and Mia Bowden of D.C. Department of For-Hire Vehicles and VLA President Paul Walsh of Superior Executive Transportation
The afternoon’s Keynote Speaker was Eric Ampedu, the Enforcement & Compliance Administrator for the D.C. Department of For-Hire Vehicles, whose accompanying PowerPoint presentation further illustrated the many points he addressed. The agency, previously known as the D.C. Taxi Commission, is currently undergoing a rebranding initiative to better express its focus on the passenger transportation industry as a whole.
Part of that new image includes retooling Hack Inspectors as Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIOs), who are tasked with being the on-the-ground enforcement of the agency’s regulations—particularly those under Title 31, which pertains to topics such as the insurance requirements, accessibility offerings, and definitions within the for-hire vehicle realm.
Ampedu also explained the reciprocity agreements among operators hailing from outside the District, especially regarding the non-D.C. residence permits (NDLs) that offer operators properly licensed within their home states the all-clear to perform point-to-point work within the capital’s city limits for 180 days under this pilot program that the agency wishes to make a permanent one.
Of particular interest to legitimate, traditional ground transportation operators is how the program aims to offer more oversight of TNCs—ultimately provider a more level playing field for all facets of the industry.
One of Sonny Merryman’s Berkshire Coach vehicles on display during the VLA meeting
Before taking questions, Ampedu introduced Assistant Chief Vehicle Inspection Officer Mia Bowden, who spoke about the agency’s appreciation of its growing business relationship with VLA, emphasized that enforcement is a round-the-clock effort, and reminded those in attendance that cooperating with VIOs goes a long way. For those who feel that they have been treated unfairly by a VIO, however, complaints can be lodged at dfhv.dc.gov.
VLA vendor member Lee Edward of Wells Fargo Equipment Funding then provided a comprehensive presentation on the mechanics of funding, which included details on how to secure approval and speed up the application process.
Barbara Arkwright of the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles then spoke about a new TNC operating in the state, Care360, which provides almost exclusively medical-related transportation. She also provided updates about SB-128, which passed last month and dictates how trade dress—the legal term for identifying a specific product—should be used in TNC vehicles to “limits the display and color of such illuminated interior trade dress devices and requires a TNC that issues such devices to file the specifications of the device with the Department of Motor Vehicles.”
VLA vendor member Lee Edward of Wells Fargo Equipment Funding
Arkwright emphasized that the DMV continues to invite reports of potential violators as it continues its own efforts to both monitor and patrol large events for illegal activity.
Farmer then returned to the mic to drum up support for and interest in a mini expo for the VLA in 2019. The event would be fashioned in the likeness of industrywide trade shows to serve as a fundraiser for the association while presenting all its benefits to a regional audience.
Jagiela closed the meeting by discussing the 2018 Chauffeur Driven Show, which will be held at the Gaylord National—right in many VLA members’ backyard.
The next VLA meeting will be June 4 at Sonny Merryman’s Chesapeake location in southern Virginia.
Visit vla-limo.org for more information.
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