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The American Bus Association announced the creation of the African American Motorcoach Council (AAMC), which joins the other networking and business councils that are a part of longtime motorcoach association.
Clarence Cox and Wendy Cox of Georgia Coach Lines
“ABA created the African American Motorcoach Council after identifying a need among our Black-owned motorcoach operator members to have a concentrated, unified voice and lobby on behalf of their businesses,” said ABA President &CEO Peter Pantuso. “While the entire motorcoach industry has been devastated by the COVID pandemic, some sectors and businesses have been hit harder than others. We wanted to give these companies another opportunity to come together within the ABA member community like we have with the Women in Buses and Hispanic Motorcoach Councils and present a united front to help secure additional funding for other motorcoach operators and for the industry.”
The main priority of the AAMC, which is being led by Clarence Cox of Georgia Coach Lines in Fayetteville, Ga., will be to help ABA in lobbying for more federal government funding for the motorcoach industry, especially on behalf of small, family-owned, minority businesses.
Members of the AAMC are already up and running contacting members of the Congressional Black Caucus in support of the industry’s grassroots initiatives and educating them about the motorcoach industry. The first official meeting of the AAMC will be held virtually at a future date and in person at ABA’s 2022 Marketplace in Grapevine, Texas, next January 8-11.
Anyone interested in participating in the AAMC should reach out to ABA’s Membership Team at membership@buses.org or call 202.218.7234.
Visit www.buses.org for more information.
[08.27.21]
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Phil Hartz
Longtime dealer and co-CEO of collaborative Acton/SoCal Penske Professional Vehicles Phillip “Phil” Hartz passed away on August 18. He was 63.
Hartz was a “car guy” his entire life and career, starting at a local Boston dealership when he was a student at Boston University in the late ’70s, where he met his future business partner and lifelong friend Coleman Hoyt. Even though he was a service lot attendant, Hoyt said he saw his potential and they became fast friends. He moved on after graduation to work with several national brands, including as a district manager with Ford Motor Company and national field manager with General Motors. His career eventually took him to California where he was the dealer operator and co-owner of the SoCal Penske GM stores, the largest in Southern California.
L to R: Bill Cunningham, Phil Hartz, and Greg Maddock at California’s SoCal Penske dealership (CD cover story January 2015)
Although Hartz’s and Hoyt’s careers diverged, they reconnected about a decade ago when the industry was changing for both of them. Hoyt, then the president of Acton Lincoln Mercury, was facing the dissolution of the Mercury brand; the loss of the industry’s most iconic vehicle, the Town Car; and the potential closure of the Acton dealership where the wildly successful Acton Fleet Sales (run by Vice President & General Manager Bill Cunningham) was located. In a fortuitous move, Hartz and Hoyt launched Acton/SoCal Penske Professional Vehicles in 2012, which gave the industry access to a wide array of fleet vehicles on both coasts.
Lifelong friends Phil Hartz and Coleman Hoyt
Hartz was also a fervent supporter of the Greater California Limousine Association, where he served as a vendor director and frequent host to GCLA events, opening up his dealerships to the association for its popular poker tournament/holiday party. He also was a champion of the chauffeured transportation industry.
Outside the industry, his family said he could be found on a different type of vessel—his boats “Crack Up” and “Fat Daddy.” He is survived by his wife Daisy; daughters Annie and Maggie; grandson Charlie; twin sister Penny; and siblings Jay and Susy.
A celebration of life mass will be held on September 1 at 11:00 a.m. at Our Lady Queen of Angels Church in Newport Beach, Calif. The family requests that donations be made in Hartz’s name to The Lungevity Foundation in lieu of flowers.
[08.23.21]
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Charleston, S.C.-based SC Express Chauffeured Transportation is pleased to announce the acquisition of Mt. Pleasant Shuttle, also located in Charleston. With this acquisition, which was coordinated by professionals Kristen Carroll and The LMC Groups, CLT Express Livery is now the largest chauffeured transportation operator in the Carolinas with a fleet of more than 90 vehicles.
Bob Bucholtz founded Mt. Pleasant Shuttle in 2002 to serve all facets of ground transportation in the Carolina Lowcountry, including transient clients, airlines, corporate groups, and, of course, weddings. After 19 successful years, Bucholtz decided it was a good time to plan his industry exit and reached out to Jeff and Laura Canady of CLT Express Livery to purchase the company. According to the Canadys, this acquisition aligned perfectly with CLT’s sister companies, including SC Express in Aiken-Augusta and CLT Express Livery in Charlotte, N.C., which service most of the Carolinas and Northern Georgia. Bucholtz retired shortly after in April 2021.
CLT Express Livery owners Laura and Jeff Canady with two of their Cadillac Escalades
The Canadys said that this also makes SC Express the largest operator with the most diverse fleet in the Charleston/Lowcountry area, which includes sedans, SUVs, limousines, and Sprinters, as well as a minicoach and motorcoach division. The company also previously worked with The LMC Groups on several other acquisitions in the past, including Charleston Style Limo in 2016 and Busy Bee Bus and Coach Tours in 2015.
According to the Canadys, Bucholtz made the acquisition process extremely non-invasive, and his clients have appreciated a seamless transition, chiefly enjoying SC Express’ first-class and on-time service with a boutique touch. SC Express Charleston looks forward to continuing to build its client base in the Lowcountry and throughout the Carolina coast.
Visit scexpresscharleston.com and cltexpress.com for more information.
[08.24.21]