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Allston, Mass. — Commonwealth Worldwide Chauffeured Transportation has been awarded “Best Car Service” by Boston magazine for the sixth time since 1984.
Dawson Rutter CEO Commonwealth Worldwide Chauffeured Transportation
Bostonmagazine’s description reads:
“Whether you want your high-profile clients chauffeured around town or simply need a lift to Logan, Commonwealth Worldwide has you covered, stylishly. Founded in Boston nearly 35 years ago, the international car service boasts sparkling new fleets of luxury sedans and SUVs, as well as an app that allows users to track their vehicle, contact their driver, or adjust their itinerary with ease. Move over, Uber.”
“This is truly a testament to our team of dedicated professionals–not only here in Boston, but our offices and fleet operations in New York City as well as our worldwide affiliate partners–for their attention to every detail to ensure that our clients enjoy a flawless experience from beginning to end,” said Founder and CEO Dawson Rutter. “It is indeed very gratifying to be recognized throughout Boston and New England for our great customer service and our great company.”
In addition to being selected Best of Boston five other times, Commonwealth has been awarded national “Operator of the Year” by the Taxi, Limousine & Paratransit Association, the “Concierge Choice” Award from the New York City Association of Hotel Concierges and the Hartford Insurance “Pewter Stag” Award for Safety.
Visit CommonwealthLimo.com for more information.
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HALCA’s board of directors. Front row (L to R): Secretary Lauren Barash of The Houston Wave, Vice President Ismail Abed of La Brees Limousines President Wes Hart of American Corporate Transportation and Treasurer Matt Assolin of Nikko’s Worldwide Transportation. Back row (L to R): Board members Jon “Younis” Ouazdi of Transgates Limousines, Kevin Claypool of Atlas Limousines, Josef Khanoyan of AAA Corporate Car & Limo, David Dillon of City Car Services, and John Ferrari of AFC Transportation.
Houston — More than 50 members and guests of the Houston Area Livery & Charter Association (HALCA) met on June 21 at the Marriott Houston Westchase for an evening meeting. Among the attendees of the event, sponsored by Karhoo, was Chauffeur Driven’s Industry & Brand Ambassador Philip Jagiela.
HALCA President Wes Hart of American Corporate Transportation opened the meeting by welcoming the crowd and introducing the lineup of speakers for the evening. First, Hart introduced two representatives of the City of Houston Administration and Regulatory Affairs (ARA)—Kathryn Bruning, Asistant Director CP/Transportation, and Nikki Cooper-Soto, Division Manager-Vehicle for Hire Permitting and Enforcement—who addressed the group about licensing requirements and new efforts being made to coordinate registration for airport pickups. Bruning and Cooper-Soto spent a great deal of time clarifying the “Chapter 46” requirements that pertain to offering vehicle-for-hire services to those with disabilities. Attendees were encouraged to visit the ARA website for full regulatory documentation.
Next to speak were two executives from technology firm Karhoo: Tarek Mallah, Senior Vice President, and Gregg Haroutunian, Supplier Relations Manager. In outlining Karhoo’s mission and goals for the near future, the pair encouraged HALCA members to think of the company as “Expedia for ground transportation needs.” Mallah and Haroutunian also shared their belief that their aggregate service will allow a greater audience to select premium transportation services. Karhoo is planning a “soft launch” for those who sign up for the service early, with a “hard launch” in several large markets (including Houston) expected by November 2016.
Jagiela was the final speaker of the evening. He shared nationwide industry trends with the HALCA members, and stressed that CD is in the trenches with their involvement with associations around the country. Further, he encouraged the group to reach out to the magazine to share their views, and emphasized a need for each member to become more involved in the workings of the association. Before Jagiela concluded, he raffled a pass to the Chauffeur Driven Trade Show & Conference to be held in Washington, D.C. on October 9-12, which was won by Bill Ata from AllStar Transportation Service & Limousine.
CD Show Pass winner Bill Ata of AllStar Transportation Service & Limousine (left) and CD Industry & Brand Ambassador Philip Jagiela
Before concluding the meeting, Hart announced two by-law changes that need approval by general membership, and then introduced the 2016-2017 executive board officers:
President: Wes Hart of American Corporate Transportation
Vice President: Ismail Abed of La Brees Limousines
Treasurer: Matt Assolin of Nikko’s Worldwide Transportation
Secretary: Laren Barash of The Houston Wave
HALCA’s next general session meeting is tentatively planned for the third Tuesday in October at a location to be determined.
Visit houstonlimos.info for more information.
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L to R: Steve Kaplan of The Driver Provider, Billy Jinks of JET Limousines, Ben Zaharie of AZ Sedans, Keith Clifton of Desert Knights Sedans and Limousines, Ira Schneider of Goldstar Executive Transporation Services, Jeff Goldin of Southwest Sedan Service
Scottsdale, Az. — The Arizona Limousine Association (ALA) recently held a membership meeting on June 14 at Certified Benz and Beemer. Twenty-seven members were in attendance for the event, which included the announcement of a new board of directors.
The meeting was facilitated by acting president Steve Kaplan of The Driver Provider, who opened the meeting with a membership update. Kaplan reported that ALA now includes 32 transportation companies and 6 vendor members among its ranks.
Chief among Kaplan’s industry updates was the recent City Council hearing in Phoenix, which approved TNC pickups at the city’s airports. While ALA was understandably displeased with the results, they hope that the group’s presence will increase along with their membership, ultimately allowing them to fight harder.
Next, ALA Administrator Joe Guinn of Limo & Bus Compliance gave the group a presentation about the importance of DOT compliance in the industry. He provided an overview of the requirements for receiving MC and DOT numbers on vehicles.
After Guinn concluded, the 10-member board of directors was then announced. They are Kelly Alderete of Xtreme Limousine, Andrew Boorse of Transtyle Transportation, Keith Clifton of Desert Knights Sedans and Limousines, Jeff Conly of Vitesse Worldwide, Marla Evel of Marveless Transportation, Jeff Goldin of Southwest Sedan Service, Billy Jinks of JET Limousines, Ira Schneider of Goldstar Executive Transporation Services, Joe Trobunella of AZ Limo, and Ben Zaharie of AZ Sedans. The board is planning a closed-door meeting with Kaplan in which officers will be appointed.
Visit azlimousineassociation.com for more information.
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