A new limousine operators group was recently announced in Houston. The new group, the Houston Limousine Operators Networking Group (HLONG), will meet on the first Wednesday of every month beginning in April.

The president of the group, Joe Jordan, said he was responding to numerous requests from operators to get back in the game and form an organization that would be responsive to the needs of the local transportation industry.

HLONG is designed to be interactive and able to freely discuss sensitive matters behind closed doors. The group will avoid any restrictive government licenses, like tax-exempt status, which prohibit political discussions during meetings, or the endorsement of a political candidate. The group will not align itself with any national organizations.

There will also be discussion of corporate clients who are going from operator to operator and not paying for runs. For obvious legal reasons, this kind of material could never be put in emails, but can be discussed in a frank and open manner in closed meetings.

President Jordan also said that the group would offer long-term continuity and stability as a forum for discussion of important issues, and not be subjected to frequent change of officers or re-focus of attention to various objectives.

According to the group’s mission statement, the goal of the Houston Limousine Operators Networking Group is to promote the use of luxury transportation in Houston, provide timely and valuable information to members through meetings and regular emails, protect the industry from excessive government regulation, and provide a networking forum where members can share helpful information and efficiently subcontract with one another during times of peak activity. “As a networking group, we can accomplish much more together than we could as individual companies dealing with problems alone,” said Jordan. “There is strength in numbers, and the larger we grow, the better our ability will be to further the best interests of the transportation industry and the financial well-being of our members.” LD03/13