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Dulles, Va.—The Washington Business Journal, the D.C. metro area’s pre-eminent business publication, recently recognized President and CEO Kristina Bouweiri as one of the region’s most influential business leaders in its annual listing of the “Power 100.”
Kristina Bouweiri Selected as part of the “Connectors” category, Bouweiri was named as an “executive who (seems) to know everyone in the region and (makes) things happen.” In its fourth year, the Power 100 is a compilation of influencers from the private sector—federal employees and politicians are excluded from the list.
“I’m thrilled to be one of the Loudoun County executives on the list,” Bouweiri said, adding that “I’m honored that my networking efforts have been recognized by The Washington Business Journal–congratulations to my fellow honorees on this year’s list!”
Barry Gross Bouweiri joins 20 women CEOs on the list, including Marilyn Hewson of Lockheed Martin, Phebe Novakovic of General Dynamics, Sheila Johnson of Salamander Hotels & Resorts, and Cary Hatch of MDB Communications.
In other news, Director of Business Relations Barry Gross has been elected to the board of directors of the Virginia Motorcoach Association (VMA), which represents the motorcoach tour and charter industry in matters at the state level. Founded in 1936, the VMA also advocates for the enactment of just and proper laws regulating the motorcoach industry at large.
Gross will complete the term of Roni Stevens of Venture Tours in Virginia Beach and will serve until August 2016. Gross joined Reston Limousine in 2014 in the new role of Director of Business Relations and since then has played a key role in expanding the affiliate network and increasing operational efficiencies within the company. He previously has worked at All Resort in Utah and ExecuCar in Arizona and most recently served as Executive Director of A Goff Limousine & Bus in Virginia.
Visit restonlimo.com for more information.
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Riverside, Calif.—Grech Motors recently announced that it has begun taking preorders on its newest model, the GM28 E450 luxury shuttle bus. With seating for 21+2, plenty of rear luggage and a price point below $100,000, the GM28 E450 will be the industry’s most accessible high-end shuttle bus to date.
Grech GM28 E450 “We developed our new GM28 E450 in response to operators demanding a high-end shuttle for smaller groups,” says VP of Sales & Marketing AJ Thurber. “The GM28 fits a nice niche between our Sprinter shuttle and GM33 F550 shuttle. We already have had an excellent response with pre-orders flooding in.”
The GM28 E450 prototype debuted at the 2015 Chauffeur Driven Show in Miami Beach last month. Features of the shuttle bus include Grech Motors’ distinctive exterior styling, first-class construction, and high-end interior amenities such as Grech ultra-light leatherette seats, USB power outlets, frameless coach windows, and its patented panoramic front viewing window.
Production begins in January 2016 with an availability date of the first run estimated to be in late February through early March.
Operators interested in securing their GM28 can call Grech Motors at (951) 688-8347 or visit grechmotors.com/reserve-your-gm28.
Visit grechmotors.com for more information.
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Dallas—AJL International and Premier Transportation recently partnered to expand their fleets. By pooling their resources, the two companies were able to substantially increase their buying power, allowing them each to purchase two MCI coach buses.
Friendly competitors for more than 15 years, Matt Johnston of AJL and Eric Devlin of Premier Transportation serve their corporate clientele in and around Dallas and Fort Worth, as well as through a vast affiliate network across the globe.
In August 2015, Devlin and Johnston met regarding a few local issues; they eventually got on the topic of coach buses. Both companies have large minibus fleets but neither had taken the next steps of getting into the coach bus business. Johnston suggested pooling their funds to increase buying power in order to affect a better price point and negotiate some free upgrades.
“We agreed that we would purchase the exact same model, with the exact same paint scheme (black), and with the same amenities,” says Devlin. “Therefore, other than the logo, each would have a seamless farm-in/farm-out partner with the same expectations of customer service.”
Devlin and his fleet manager, Todd Davis, attended bus shows to research vehicles while Johnston worked the phones, negotiated price and amenities, and created a spreadsheet of pros and cons for the various manufactures. Both owners reached out to mentors in the industry for their input, too.
Eventually, Devlin and Johnston decided not only to purchase from MCI (2016 J4500.s), but also increase their order from one to two buses each. The two companies chose MCI due the manufacturer’s convenient service center, and their ability to fill the order by December 1, 2015.
Johnston and Devlin are excited about their new venture and look forward to working together and growing their already strong relationship.
Visit ajlinternational.com or premierofdallas.com for more information.
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