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President Sean Arena
Dallas — Limo Anywhere, a software solutions provider for ground transportation operators, has rolled out a series of new products and enhancements to its current portfolio. These additions are part of Limo Anywhere’s commitment to provide best-in-class products for its clients and their customers.
Over the past several months, Limo Anywhere has made good on this assurance through a spate of new releases, including enhancements made to its online reservation software (ORES). The most recent version includes multiple vehicle images, customizable reservations widgets, increased security, and an updated dashboard to give users the best possible experience. In addition, search and reporting capabilities were made more robust.
In March 2018, Limo Anywhere also released two critical apps: LA Mobile, a dispatching/admin app, and Driven Anywhere, a new passenger app tailored for smaller operators who desire a native app solution without the need to build or manage their own independent apps. Both apps are available for Android and iOS users. LA Mobile gives operators the freedom to dispatch on the go: they can manage reservations, assign chauffeurs, monitor trips, and perform searches, all in a convenient app. Driven Anywhere provides a company-branded user experience for passengers who wish to book their own travel.
Head of Product & Design Brandon Edley
“We want to make our products as convenient to use as possible. We recognize that in these busy times, many of our clients require flexibility and freedom, and their customers do as well,” said Brandon Edley, head of product & design for Limo Anywhere. “LA Mobile is fundamentally a new mobile foundation upon which we can build for years to come. Furthermore, our new passenger app solution, Driven Anywhere, provides a simple, low cost, and effective way to enable smaller operators to quickly establish a mobile presence.”
Limo Anywhere has big plans for the future as well. LA Mobile and Driven Anywhere will be continuously upgraded with new capabilities. The company is also in the process of re-launching custom apps for operators who desire to have and promote their own shelf space in the Apple and Android app stores. ORES, the web booking engine, will soon incorporate a major enhancement that will allow online bookers to complete the process in a fraction of the time it currently takes. Last, Limo Anywhere is investing significantly in a state-of-the-art, next-gen user experience built from the ground up, including a redesigned dispatch screen, enhanced activity logging, and an improved rate building and management process, as well as a brand new reporting and analytics module.
Limo Anywhere President Sean Arena commented on his priorities for the company: “Every day, it is incumbent upon us to continue to push the envelope on what we can deliver for our customers and to consistently deliver on those expectations. Each year, we make significant investments in new products, enhancements, and infrastructure. It’s this commitment to investment that enables us to accomplish our mission: to be the preeminent technology provider in ground transportation for operators of all shapes and sizes.”
Visit limoanywhere.com for more information.
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Portland — Schetky Bus and Van Sales announced that they have opened a new sales and service facility in Tolleson, Ariz. As a national distributor of commercial buses, school buses, and mobility vans, Schetky is committed to providing the Southwest with their brand of best-in-class customer service and support. The company will be focusing on selling vehicles in this territory to the local transit agencies, tribes, and businesses.
“Going back to 1942, our belief has always been that customer support is ultimately what drives sales,” said Schetky Vice President David Schetky. “When looking to open a facility in Arizona, one of the comments we heard over and over again was that customers did not feel like they were getting the proper level of support. This was exciting for us, because support is what we excel at. Schetky opening an office in Arizona became the perfect fit.”
In their new location, Schetky will be representing the industry’s top bus manufacturers, including ElDorado, Goshen, Champion, and World Trans.
“Schetky is a very strong dealership for REV Group, and their company is known for going above and beyond to service their loyal customers,” said REV Bus Group’s Regional Sales Director Jason Walle. “As a REV Platinum Partner, Schetky is a great example of how our partnerships can bring success, and our commitment to them allows Schetky to provide the absolute best pricing and parts availability.”
The new office is easily accessible via major freeways such as I-10, Loop 101 and the upcoming completion of Loop 202. Along with vehicle sales, Schetky will be offering parts and service for customers in Arizona, and will provide training for all vehicle and wheelchair accessibility components.
Visit schetkynw.com for more information.
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The ABA show floor was packed with attendees The American Bus Association (ABA) held its annual Meeting & Marketplace from January 26-30 in Charlotte, N.C. Attracting over 3,400 attendees with its 2018 installment (including more than 1,000 motorcoach and tour operators), the conference aims to kick off the new year as a platform for ABA to provide networking, education, exhibition, purchasing, certification, and philanthropic opportunities to the bus and motorcoach world.
Meetings are a significant component of the five-day event, and the ABA Annual Meeting on Saturday was just one opportunity for the greater community to come together for an update about both the past year and what lies ahead. Various regional associations, boards, committees, and councils embraced this unifying opportunity to bring their far-flung members together to face-to-face discussions over the course of the conference.
UMA President and CEO Stacy Tetschner (left) with ABA President & CEO Peter Pantuso During the annual meeting, ABA announced its 2018 board officers:
Chairman of the Board: Don DeViVo of DATTCO in New Britain, Conn.
Vice Chairman of the Board: Gene Berardi of Adirondack Trailways in Hurley, N.Y.
Immediate Past Chairman: John Meier of Badger Coaches in Madison, Wis.
Treasurer: John Miller of Miller Transportation in Louisville, Ky.
Additionally, Mike Dickson of Southeastern Stages in Atlanta, Ga., and AJ Kinney of Great Day Tours and Charter Bus Service in Cleveland, Ohio, were voted to three-year terms; Nicole Twigg of Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau in Louisville, Ky., was voted to a one-year term; and Kim Grzywaczof CIT Signature Transportation in Ames, Iowa, was appointed a one-year term as the 2019 ABA Marketplace Chairman.
One of the buses at TEMSA's booth "ABA recently went through a strategic planning routine and have mapped out the next three years for the association and how we service our members and the industry," said ABA President & CEO Peter Pantuso. "These new officers and board members will play a key role in helping ABA continuing being the most respected and valued motorcoach, travel, and tourism association and I look forward to working with all of these dedicated professionals."
With educational sessions, speakers, and workshops accounting for a significant part of the conference, ABA offered more than 50 seminars led by an array of speakers and industry experts alike. Its breakout-session program was divided into three tracks: Professional Development, Technology, and Sales and Marketing. Short informational sessions on the showroom floor, safety education from ABA's Bus Industry Safety Council, maintenance and operations education, legislative updates, webinars, and certifications all rounded out the spate of learning opportunities to be found in the Charlotte conference.
Keynote Speaker Steve Miller shared his nontraditional approach to marketing and branding. Miller, whose book Uncopyable takes its name from his business philosophy, told attendees about his formula for helping companies—including some among the Fortune 100—separate themselves from their competition to grow as entrepreneurs and find success.
ABA's Bus Industry Safety Council met during the conference The beating heart of the conference is its fundraising work, and this year was no exception. The philanthropic initiative ABA Gives Back has raised money every year for a charity based in the conference's host city since 2007; thanks to attendees' generosity, ABA Gives Back has raised more than $347,000 in the past decade. This year's beneficiary was the Isabella Santos Foundation, which was established in 2009 in honor of its young namesake, who succumbed to the neuroblastoma she battled for five years since her diagnosis at age 2. The foundation has donated more than $1.5 million to neuroblastoma cancer research and children's cancer charities in search of a cure, and ABA members raised another $25,085 to support its passionate mission.
Up next for ABA is its Capitol Hill Flyover Days in Washington, D.C., which it will host in conjunction with the United Motorcoach Association April 10-11. The 2019 ABA Meeting & Marketplace will be Jan. 25-29 in Louisville, Ky.
Visit buses.org for more information. [CD0318]