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George (left) and Jack Rains in the ’90s
Extraordinar Luxury Transportation (ELT) is excited to announce that co-founder George Rains has once again returned to the team as executive vice president of global operations, joining his brother Jack, who also co-founded the company and is the current president. Now that the team is back together, they will be working side by side and are positioned to grow the DC-area company into a powerhouse global business.
Jack (left) and George Rains today
The Rains brothers started as chauffeurs in 1990. They both gained a strong understanding of the transportation industry and went on to jointly own and operate An Extraordinar Limousine until 1995. George then pursued other business opportunities to build ZBest Worldwide, while Jack continued to build the company now known as ELT.
“My brother and I started together and remain committed to the same ideals and goals this industry demands: quality service to create memorable experiences. George’s insightful understanding of the luxury transportation industry and his commitment to excellence is like no other. I’m grateful he is back where he belongs!” says President Jack Rains.
George has more than three decades of industry experience and vast expertise in business development and building relationships. His forward-thinking marketing concepts and strategies will position the company to be well set in the competitive marketplace.
“I am very eager to take the reins of this new brand and work side by side with my brother Jack. ELT is dedicated to the very best; our commitment to customer satisfaction will redefine luxury transportation,” says Executive Vice President of Global Operations George Rains.
Visit eltlimo.com for more information.
[02.20.24]
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FourthStreet Founder Colin Devine
Luxury ground transportation industry veteran Colin Devine is pleased to announce his FourthStreet venture is setting its sights on keeping international trade at home to create Irish jobs and opportunities.
Knowing that the responsibilities for a transportation company typically ended at the Dublin Airport, Devine opened FourthStreet in 2021 to capture the international travel needs for his Irish- and UK-based clients, combining logistical expertise and his extensive global affiliate partner network. He developed plans for international growth while taking an MBA at Trinity College, Dublin, in 2019. This new undertaking was launched with key anchor clients, serving prominent Irish export companies and entertainment clients, for high-level board meeting and events across the United States, London, and other European cities with one seamless point of contact.
“Irish exports have reached a record of EUR 197 billion in 2023. We have clients who spend more than twenty times their Irish transport budget with international network companies located outside of Ireland,” says Devine. With that in mind, he set out to ensure that his clients trusted his company while traveling outside of Ireland.
The outlook for growth looks promising as business travel reached 70 percent of pre-pandemic levels in 2023, according to the Global Business Travel Association, with a full recovery expected by 2024. The value of the luxury taxi and chauffeured transportation is expected to reach USD 102 billion by 2025 globally.
“For international, it’s a very different business model,” Devine continues. “Our overseas revenue was less than 5 percent of sales. With this new venture, 90 percent of our revenue comes from outside of Ireland. It’s about fine-tuning the offering to meet client expectations across different time zones. We serve a small niche of complex high-level transportation programs; we source, negotiate, and manage the local supplier relationships for our clients who put their trust in us. It’s much more about transportation management and removing those pain points for high-level guests and travel managers in markets that they may not be familiar with.”
Since its 2021 debut, FourthStreet today employs nine people between Dublin and the US. The company’s international bookings increased 150 percent in 2023, serving high-touch clients and guests for corporate travel and entertainment industry events, in the US, the UK, and major cities across Europe and the Middle East.
“We treat stars like they are ordinary people and ordinary people like they are stars,” says Devine. “The back seat experience for the guests should be consistent when you are working with the elite companies. At the centre of everything we do is the booking client, the executive assistant, travel managers, and the event planners. We are really focused on the booker experience and touch points that make their lives easier when booking in multiple markets,” says Devine.
Visit 4stchauffeurs.com for more information.
[02.20.24]
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For close to four years, the Illinois Limousine & Bus Association (ILLBA) has presented their free mid-morning Coffee With ILLBA webinars on a semi-monthly basis to offer education on products and services to operators around the world. On Tuesday, February 13, the association held their latest online meeting with special guest speaker Amir Zafar of GRiDD Technologies. Thirty attendees from as far away as the Netherlands took part in the webinar.
Amir Zafar of GRiDD Technologies
ILLBA President Tracy Raimer of Windy City Limousine & Bus kicked off the online event by welcoming attendees and introducing the Board of Directors. She then introduced Zafar, who said he was “honored” to be part of the organization and speaking to attendees.
Zafar provided an overview of GRiDD’s GNet software platform, including its history and the services it provides to integrated reservations systems. He also revealed that they are working on a new, improved portal for the platform, with plans to preview it at the 2024 CD/NLA Show in Las Vegas. One new feature will be the option to search for operators on the system by their association membership.
ILLBA President Tracy Raimer
ILLBA Executive Director/Secretary Paula DeBiasi of Chicago Coachworks then discussed the benefits of GNet regarding affiliate work. Rather than dispatchers—or even chauffeurs—fielding phone calls from affiliates looking for client status, using GNet provides instantaneous information. Before signing off, Zafar then fielded many questions from the attendees, notably about rate scheduling on the platform.
ILLBA Executive Director/Secretary Paula DeBiasi
DeBiasi then provided an update on what’s happening on a local level at the Chicago airports. Currently, due to construction at O’Hare, the shuttle bus center is closed and vehicles have been moved to Terminal 2. Limousine operators familiar with the terminal have requested that the car rental shuttles monitor their speed closely within the Terminal as they have been speeding over the posted limit.
The next Coffee With ILLBA meeting is planned to be an in-person event on March 19. Details will be announced at a later date.
Visit illba.org for more information.
[02.15.24]