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Oak Park, Mich. — Detroit Custom Coach (DCC), which has made a name for itself by building custom vehicles for the limousine, food truck, and marketing industries, is launching a new Ford Transit line. The lineup will consist of three models: executive shuttle, business class, and limousine style.
According to Chris Ramos, CEO of DCC, the decision to upfit the Ford Transit vehicles came from the popularity of the high-roof Sprinter vehicles. Ford is a familiar brand in the industry with access to a network of dealers the industry is already familiar with. The Transit will be DCC’s flagship chassis and will be incorporated into its other divisions as well.
“We’re hedging all our bets on the new Transit,” says Ramos. “It’s a beautiful vehicle and is more affordable and accessible to customers. From mobile offices to limousine interiors, the Ford Transit offers a versatile platform for both work and pleasure. The platform will allow for countless configurations. Having Ford in our backyard is a huge plus for us as we’ll be able to communicate quickly and even have Ford staff to our facility for any troubleshooting issues.”
DCC was also recently selected by Ford to showcase its prototype business class model Transit at the 2014 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, where Ramos says it was met with rave reviews. “We know the chauffeured industry well and we’ve worked hard on our designs and engineering, which are built to be functional, serviceable, and, of course, beautiful. SEMA was a great opportunity to share our hard work with the world.”
Visit detroitcustomcoach.com for more information on the Transit vehicles and floor plans available.
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The GCLA’s fourth annual poker tournament brought together industry members from all over the country for a night of cards, camaraderie, and friendly competition.Torrance, Calif. — When the Greater California Livery Association’s (GCLA) fourth annual Texas Hold ‘em Poker Tournament came to the SoCal Penske Cadillac dealership on November 15, it brought with it an evening of camaraderie and friendly competition among California operators and their affiliates alike.
The tournament began as a way to raise money for the association and has since turned into one of its biggest fundraising events. This year saw a turnout of nearly 80 industry people from as far away as the East Coast with about 60 players, and raised more than $11,000. That money will send an underprivileged child to the Knights of Pythias Youth Camp, as well as help fund the association administratively.
Program Chair Kevin Illingworth of Classique Worldwide Transportation found much to praise about the annual fundraiser, which began more than four years ago as a more communal and interactive way to fill the GCLA’s coffers.
“We had a great turnout,” he said. “I thought [host SoCal] Penske was just awesome, and it’s great when the association members get to spend time with each other and their affiliates.”
Phil Hartz of SoCal Penske Cadillac helped host the GCLA’s second poker tournament held at the Californian dealership.The event included a silent auction featuring baskets and gifts donated by many of those attending the event. This is also the first time that the poker tournament included blackjack and roulette for those who wanted to try their luck at other games.
This year’s tournament winner was David Kinney of API Global Transportation, who went home with the grand prize of a 50-inch flat screen TV.
While the poker tournament is a GCLA event, Illingworth said that there are a lot of individuals who help make the annual shindig a success.
“You can never do it by yourself. I just appreciate everyone who got involved and contributed and spent their time helping out,” he said. “Penske Cadillac gave us beautiful location, and we’re lucky to have so many friends who stepped up to help.”
The GCLA’s next event is its holiday party on December 10.
Visit gcla.org for more information.
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King of Prussia, Pa. — The members of the Philadelphia Regional Limousine Association (PRLA) elected its new board of directors for 2015 at its November 12 meeting. The meeting, which was held at Maggiano’s Little Italy, was dedicated almost exclusively to the elections and giving each nominee a chance to provide an overview of their background and plans for the association.
The 2015 board of directors for the PRLA is as follows:
President: Steve Rhoads of Rhoads Limousine
Vice President: Robert Euler of King Limousine
Secretary: Mark Barnett of Best of Times Chauffeured Limousine Service
Treasurer: Christopher Haines of Michael’s Classic Limousine
Vendor member: Peter Corelli of Lakeview Custom Coach
General membership: Christopher Haines; Anthony Onorata of Anthony Limousine
“We had a lot of turnout for the election, and we had a good turnout for people who wanted to be on the board,” Rhoads said. “We’re really happy with everything.”
The next PRLA event will be its Monte Carlo Night on December 10.
Visit prlainc.com for more information.
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