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LANJ President Jason SharenowNew Jersey — The brutal weather seen this winter in the Northeast caught up with the Limousine Association of New Jersey (LANJ) when a snow storm forced a last-minute cancellation of their January membership meeting. On Wednesday, January 25, the LANJ board of directors went forward with a conference call to keep up association news and other happenings facing operators within the NY-NJ-PA tristate region.
Chief among the issued discussed on the call was the nomination of board officers for the 2018 LANJ elections. Each of the current officers was nominated to continue their role for the coming term. These include:
President: Jason Sharenow of Broadway Elite Worldwide
1st Vice President/Treasurer: Jon Epstein of Royal Coachman Worldwide
2nd Vice President: Jeff Brodsly of Chosen Payments
Secretary: Karen Gajda of Country Club Transportation
These nominations will be presented to the membership for an official vote.
The call began with an update from Golf Committee Chair Brian O’Neill of Grech Motors, who proposed a new plan to for the marketing and operation of this year’s LANJ Charity Golf Tournament. With the 2017’s inaugural event being a huge success (grossing more than $33,000), the board unanimously agreed to move ahead with O’Neill’s suggestion.
Next, Sharenow gave his President’s Report, which addressed the unfortunate cancellation of the previous week’s meeting. Sharenow also provided the board with an update from the association’s lobbying firm regarding recent legislative matters. Representatives from LANJ will be meeting with the firm in coming weeks to get some sort of resolution with TNC background checks as well as port authority fees. Since N.J. recently sworn in a new governor, the association also touched on the potential for a new, higher minimum wage.
LANJ Executive Director Patricia Nelson followed with her report, highlighted with the announcement that the association’s membership is currently at an all-time high, with more than 150 members. Nelson also provided the board with a bit of information regarding the NLA Day on the Hill on May 23 in Washington, D.C., and the upcoming New York International Auto Show.
Before the call concluded, Epstein provided a brief Membership Committee report that largely focused on LANJ’s next meeting in March, held at Englewood Cadillac. Scott Solombrino of Dav El/Boston Coach will be attending as a guest speaker.
Visit lanj.org for more information.
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TLPA Steering Committee Co-Chairs (L to R) Matt Assolin of Nikko's Worldwide, Sam Amato of Gateway Global, and Tom Arrighi of A&A Metro Transportation along with CD Publisher Chris WeissNew Orleans — Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Association (TLPA) headed to the Crescent City for its winter meeting for the Limousine & Sedan Steering Committee on Wednesday, January 24. Spearheaded by committee co-chairs Sam Amato of Gateway Global, Matt Assolin of Nikko's Worldwide Chauffeured Services, and Tom Arrighi of A&A Metro Transportation, the meeting covered a wide array of issues facing the industry with a special focus on the future. CD Publisher Chris Weiss, who also serves as a member of the steering committee, was in attendance.
With all 12 members of the steering committee present, it guaranteed a series of thought-provoking discussions, which covered new revenue opportunities, a review of the TLPA’s strategic plan against the TNCs, and legislative talk. However, one of the most engrossing discussions dealt with autonomous cars, and the role of the luxury ground transportation market in this emerging market. Currently, Google’s Waymo subsidiary is testing fully autonomous vehicles in the Phoenix market, which means, in effect, that the future is now; however, TLPA CEO Al LaGasse is optimistic that our industry will not be shut out.
“It’s premature to say we have no role,” he said. “The TLPA needs to study this and get involved more. We need to participate in the policy debates, so people think of us as a player in autonomous vehicles. We don’t know what the opportunity in this is right now, but we need to keep our options open so that we can become a player, however we participate.”
The TLPA Steering Committee (L to R): Ira Goldstein of the New York Black Car Fund, Matt Assolin of Nikko's Worldwide, Berj Haroutunian of Vital Transportation, TLPA President Mike Pinkard, Lorraine Wilde of Go Airport Shuttle & Executive Car, TLPA CEO Al LaGasse, Sam Amato of Gateway Global, Mike Fogarty of TriStar Worldwide, and Tom Arrighi of A&A Metro Transportation (Not present: Terry O'Toole of Transdev)The steering committee also got brought up to speed on TLPA’s plans for 2018. As the association looks toward “tomorrow,” a new bimonthly newsletter—Innovations—will launch in February with a concentration on autonomous vehicles, technology platforms, and new operating systems. But LaGasse wants readers to know that this isn’t solely a tech-heavy publication.
“Innovation is not limited to technology,” he said. “Anything is fair game.”
Also in the planning stages for release later in the year is a TLPA podcast that will offer interviews and discussions with members. What’s more, the association has lowered its dues and restructured member services so that all members will receive each of the TLPA publications and information offerings.
“The industry is changing,” said LaGasse. “The distinct lines are devolving between paratransit, limousine, and taxi—the regulatory lines, the operations lines—everything is evolving. We have members in all three of those lines of business. We’re all in the local passenger ground transportation business, and we think all of our members should be aware of what’s happening in all of our market segments.”
Look for a full recap of the Steering Committee meeting in the March issue of Chauffeur Driven.
Visit tlpa.org for more information
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CLA President Jason Ramsey Aurora, Colo. — The Colorado Limousine Association (CLA) kicked off its 2018 meeting schedule by coming together January 16 at the Ecotech Institute.
The meeting was Outgoing President Mary Norby’s final responsibility in the position she held for the past year, as the 2018 board was formally announced:
President: Jason Ramsey of Prestige Worldwide Transportation
Vice President: Youssef Marrakchi of Centennial Transportation
Sergeant At Arms: Marcos Contreras of A Advantage Limo
Treasurer: Nikko Ouzounis of White Dove Limousine
Chairwoman: Mary Norby of Carey Denver
The conversations held throughout the evening meetings covered association-specific matters, regional goings-on, and wider industry-related topics.
Newly installed president Ramsey discussed CLA’s PR efforts, which include a new website template courtesy of DriveProfit. The association’s website will expedite internal business, like dues payments, while also serving as a repository of information to help current members while also attracting new ones. The new site template is expected to go live in a matter of days. Treasurer Ouzounis also reported that the association’s coffers are “healthy” thanks to minimal 2017 spending, while membership not only is holding steady but also benefited from several December and January renewals.
Regionally, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) was a significant topic of conversation, as the association’s comments about the PUC’s proposed 2018 changes were due January 12. Many Colorado operators, with help from both the NLA and other regional industry associations, had submitted their feedback, especially in regard to a proposed ruling that would affect executive vans with bench seating.
There will be a 10 a.m. February 21 meeting about the PUC’s proposed changes that livery operators will be welcome to attend, held at the commission’s hearing room in Denver. CLA will be issuing a Call to Action for its members and statewide operators both through email and on social media.
Regarding the proposed PUC changes, CLA attorney Doug Pooley advised that the focus should be on three key issues that will impact national affiliate business: Rule 6309 in the PUC’s rules regulating for-hire ground transportation (the conditions of charter orders), the PUC’s interest in having bench seats removed from vehicles like Sprinters and Transits, and broker’s definition.
Familiar industry face Jeremy Lee of Wells Fargo Equipment Finance was the meeting’s guest speaker, discussed the ins and outs of financing livery vehicles. Lee zeroed in on general underwriting guidelines, fixed-rate term loans, lines of credit, and terminal rental adjustment clause (TRAC) leases—which combines the advantages of leasing with the option to purchase a vehicle at the end of the lease term at a pre-determined agreement.
The next CLA membership meeting will be held March 20, though all members are welcome to attend the March 6 board meeting.
Visit cololimo.org for more information.
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