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Members of the Greater Orlando Limousine Association, West Florida Livery Association, newly formed Southwest chapter, and Florida Limousine Association (FLA) were on hand for the October 12 FLA meeting
Miami — The Florida Limousine Association (FLA) hosted a full house at its October 12 meeting, which was held during the Chauffeur Driven Show at Loews Miami Beach Hotel. With representation from the Greater Orlando Limousine Association, West Florida Livery Association, and newly formed Southwest chapter of the FLA, operators and supporters from all over the Sunshine State were on hand for the breakfast meeting.
FLA Executive Director and CD’s Industry & Brand Ambassador Philip Jagiela filled in for President Rick Versace of A1A Airport & Limousine Service, addressing the crowd and introducing the full slate of presenters who spoke at the meeting.
International Association of Transportation Regulators President Matt Daus of Windels Marx Lane & Mittendorf kicked off the meeting by providing an overview of TNC regulatory progress. After explaining why he recently used Uber for a ride in Florida—“You need to know your enemy; if you don’t, you’ll never beat them”—he said that the FLA collective has seen the most success in its fight against ride-sharing services and offered some advice for moving ahead in their campaign.
FLA Executive Director and CD Industry & Brand Ambassador Philip Jagiela (left) and International Association of Transportation Regulators President Matt Daus of Windels Marx Lane & Mittendorf
“This battle is not over but you guys are winning it,” Daus said, noting that “now’s the time to double down” by hiring the right lobbyists, being mindful of resource allocation, and staying the course.
Daus went on to explain how TNCs violate the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause, giving legally operating, traditional transportation companies a leg up in that regard.
Those in attendance also heard from attorney Daniel Levine, who spoke about the differences between employee and independent contractor models; lobbyist Ron Book, who discussed ways to further the association’s TNC battle; Stuart Gold of miRide, which is gearing up to unite Florida’s chauffeured transportation operations under one app that offers a luxury experience as well as luxury service; and insurance agent Charles Caravella from Hawkeye Claims.
At the end of the meeting, several association members came forward to pledge additional monetary support to the FLA in order to help defray the costs of its lobbying efforts and other expenses necessary in maintaining the integrity of Florida’s transportation industry.
Visit floridalimousine.com for more information.
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FLA President Rick Versace of A1A Limousine & Airport Service spoke during the chapter’s first meeting
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Bonita Springs, Fla. — When the newest chapter of the Florida Limousine Association (FLA) gathered at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point on October 6, almost 40 companies were present for the debut meeting.
Spearheaded by President Randy Smith of Naples Transportation, Vice President Brandy Ollie of Go Platinum Transportation, and Secretary/Treasurer Rick Fugit of Gateway Coachworks, the Southwest addition to the Florida associations gives operators hailing from Collier and Lee counties a collective voice as the TNC battle gains traction on the state’s Gulf coast.
“It seems like everything happens on the eastern coast first and then filters over here: Our commissioners are just starting to listen to the Uber issue and decide what to do,” Smith said. “It’s just getting ready to come to a head, so now when we need to petition and lobby our elected officials, we have a little more strength rather than just Randy Smith going on behalf of Naples Transportation. Now I can go on behalf of 50 other companies.”
Smith adds that the chapter’s first meeting was roughly an even split between discussing how members can work together not only to get the industry’s message across to local leaders and government officials, but also for their own benefit with strength in numbers.
Nearly 40 companies were present for the debut meeting of the FLA’s Southwest chapter
“That’s our first immediate need, to have that one large, collective voice so that we can fight the TNC issues,” said Smith. “Because, believe it or not, we don’t have a lot of ongoing issues. Insurance is getting tougher on a lot of companies so we are going to help our members with that area and with things like legal issues, but the TNCs are our biggest problem right now.”
In a show of statewide unity, FLA President Rick Versace of A1A Airport & Limousine Service spoke at the chapter’s first meeting. West Florida Livery Association President Dave Shaw of Network Limousines has also been helping behind the scenes, offering “starting information, pointers, and tidbits” as the Southwest chapter starts filling a regional void.
“We’ve never had any kind of transportation association—taxi, limo, whatever—in southwest Florida,” he said. “No one ever knew of any other association, so it was just time that we all got together. We all know each other, we all kind of work with each other, and we recognized that we need to have a collective voice these days.”
The chapter is currently in the beginning phases of creating its website and meeting schedule, and is finalizing its November meeting date.
Contact rsmith@nttep.com for more information.
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MLOA President Maurice Brewster of Mosaic Global Transportation
Miami — On October 13, the Minority Limousine Operators of America (MLOA) held its last in-person meeting of the year during the Chauffeur Driven Show at Loews Miami Beach Hotel. The breakfast meeting gave the association’s far-flung membership base a chance to convene face-to-face, as well as listen to speaker Sheila Bright, who recently retired from AT&T as their supplier diversity director and is now working as a consultant.
MLOA President Maurice Brewster of Mosaic Global Transportation began the meeting by recognizing the board of directors’ hard work and dedication, as well as emphasizing that membership has the benefit of “giving you a network of more than 450 cars,” thanks to the MLOA’s 149 members.
Citing the association’s value proposition of increased education, networking, financial literacy, fellowship, and development, Brewster also recognized the support of vendors like Create-a-Card, Battisti Customs, and Advantage Funding, saying that because of such partnerships, “together, we all develop as businesses.”
Guest Speaker Sheila Bright
Bright then took to the mic, speaking about the importance and value of supplier diversity to large corporate institutions. She advised the audience on ways to pursue, obtain, and leverage their ability to offer a diverse supplier base—which, in turn, results in “a really measurable ROI” for the corporations who work with minority-owned businesses.
A crucial piece of advice that Bright shared was well-aligned with initiatives that the MLOA has been offering, like helping its members seek Small Business Administration certification: “Getting certified needs to be a 2015-2016 goal,” she said. “You’re leaving money on the table if it’s not.” Bright also met with a handful of MLOA members in good standing for brief one-on-one sessions.
The meeting capped off with Sarah VanBeek and Katie Martinez of Chosen Payments presenting the association with a check for $1,500.
Visit mlooa.org for more information.
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