Association of the Year
Luxury Base Operators Association (LBOA)

Finalists: Limousine Association of Houston (LAH) North Carolina Limousine Association (NCLA)

The Luxury Base Operators Association (LBOA) has been established for just over a year and in that time it has accomplished much that has made an impact on our industry. Originally conceived for the purpose of representing luxury bases in New York, LBOA has expanded its membership to include members from every segment of the industry. There are currently upwards of 50 vendor and operator members, representing over 3,000 vehicles in the tri-state area. LBOA, lead by President Sergio Sanchez—a founding member—established guidelines for running the association and adopted by-laws that defined election terms, a meeting schedule, and even outlines the creation of several committees within the organization such as ethics, membership, and finance. Shortly after its founding, officers and board members were officially sworn in by Matt Daus, the NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission’s (TLC) commissioner.

This fledgling association has made a name for itself and is a prime example of what can be achieved when we work together. With a unified voice, LBOA’s membership has confronted the Avis/WeDriveU business model head on by researching the issue, presenting information to regulators, and working with other associations to share knowledge. LBOA representatives were also part of the successful reciprocity agreement between the three limousine commissions in New York, and sat on a task force that suggested amendments to new rules being set by the NYC TLC, which were ultimately implemented. LBOA believes in being proactive and has taken advantage of opportunities to meet with regulators whether locally, statewide, or even nationally at the NLA Day on the Hill.

Realizing the importance of grassroots lobbying and strength in numbers, LBOA formed a political action committee to fund its future legislative battles such as fighting the New York State sales tax or the introduction of distracted driving laws. The association also shares ad-hoc board members with the Limousine Associations of New Jersey (LANJ) and Limousine Association of New York (LANY). In a year, LBOA has proven to be a powerful organization for operators across the city and state.

Most Dedicated Association Leader or Member
Victor Dizengoff (Black Car Assistance Corp./TLPA)

Finalists: Guy Palumbo (Luxury Base Operators Association) Paul Walsh (Virginia Limousine Association)

Victor Dizengoff is a well-known figure in the chauffeured ground transportation industry. He began his career as a part-time taxicab driver in Brooklyn in 1959. He also served as secretary of the taxi industry’s first trade association, the Association of Radio Metered Taxicab Owners Council.

Dizengoff helped start the first black car company in New York in 1976, which he sold in 1983. The following year he opened another black car company, Vital Transportation, which is still one of the major players in the industry in New York City. He sold that company in 1990, after which he traveled to Chicago to open King Cars, the first black car company in that city. When Dizengoff returned to New York in 1991, he assumed ownership of Black Car News, building it into one of the most respected publications in the industry. He is currently the executive director of the Black Car Assistance Corp. (BCAC) as well as the Black Car Fund and was recently sworn in as the president of the Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Association (TLPA).

With nearly 50 years of experience in our industry, Dizengoff has always entrenched himself in the many issues facing us, approaching them professionally and keeping the greater good at the forefront of his mind. Many of the regulations that benefit our industry today were shaped by Dizengoff himself. Recently, Dizengoff has been leading the charge of the Avis/WeDriveU battle. He has written countless letters of correspondence and met with regulators not only in the New York City area, but nationally as well.

He is currently working to change the overly confusing sales tax on service in New York State to a much more palatable flat fee per trip. He is a mentor and an inspiration to many in this industry.

Community Service
ETS International (Quincy, Mass.)

Finalist: Preferred Transportation (Denver, Colo.)

For ETS International president John Greene, charity is so much more than just writing a check or donating a vehicle. It’s something that he takes seriously as a personal commitment. Over the last year, Massachusetts-based ETS supported more than 13 foundations locally and nationally, including various medical charities and local boys and girls’ sports teams. Some of the organizations they support are Lupus Foundation of New England, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and Cam Neely Foundation, which was created to help cancer patients and their families while undergoing treatment. Greene involves his entire staff in his efforts, who also give freely of their time. The company has been very active with the Boston Bruins Foundation, the charitable arm of the team that is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for children all over New England, and the Jimmy Fund. Some other charity involvement includes Walk for Hunger, The Massachusetts Special Olympics, and Triangle, which empowers those with disabilities to enjoy rich, fulfilling lives.

Greene has also served on the boards of many charities, including Cerebral Palsy of the South Shore. Greene has been in the industry at different companies for over 20 years, including many years working with networks Carey International and Empire International. After various industry ventures, he founded ETS in 2006. Peter Greene, also an industry veteran and Greene’s brother, serves as the company’s vice president of operations.

Over the past 3 years in operation, the company has gone from a fleet of one to 25. Through the acquisition of several area companies, ETS is continuing to grow. ETS was also a finalist for the Image Award.


Image
AAmbassador Limousine & Transportation (Houston, Texas)

Finalists: Elite Coach (Pittsburgh, Pa.) ETS International (Quincy, Mass.) G Limos (Amity, Ore.) Panama Luxury Limousine (Panama City, Panama)

AAmbassador Limousine & Transportation, based in Houston, Texas, has been in operation since 1997 and is a largely corporate-based service. Albert Abutahoun, president, runs a diverse fleet of SUVs, limobuses, coach buses, and Town Cars. AAmbassador is also a member of the Limousine Association of Houston and the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau.

AAmbassador Limousine & Transportation has branding down to a science. The service uses a robust gold and red crest, which aptly conveys the image of a rich and regal executive limousine service. More importantly, its branding adorns all of its collateral: from sleek, tiered sell sheets to its internal handbooks such as employee and training manuals. As is the key to effective marketing, the company’s logo is always front and center for its customers as well, including on pens, etched glass paperweights, and even on tissue boxes used in the office and in back of its vehicles. Taken collectively, AAmbassador’s collateral shows a strong uniformity that lets customers know that it is looking out for every little detail while never missing the big picture.


Small Operator of the Year
Four Star Limousine (Salisbury, Mass.)

Finalists: Dream Limousine (Valrico, Fla.) Olympus Limousines (Atlanta, Ga.) Panama Luxury Limousine (Panama City, Panama)

Four Star Limousine is owned by husband and wife team Brion and Georgieanna Svenson. The company was founded 15 years ago with the goal of providing corporate and retail clients with the level of personalized service and attention that they would expect as a customer. At the time, the couple owned a video rental store, which, between the two, demanded much of their time. The company grew slowly, and steadily, in the first few years in business. Four Star was meant to be a weekend venture, but the couple quickly realized that it was becoming a more serious endeavor. They sold the video store in 2000 and devoted all their energy to the limousine service.

Its location has served them very well. Located just minutes from the New Hampshire border and less than an hour from Boston, Four Star is positioned between major airports and large corporations based in both Massachusetts and New Hampshire. One of their specialties is corporate road shows for traveling executives, even as far south as New York and New Jersey.

Four Star also has a large retail component to its service. As parents themselves, the Svensons enjoy prom and wedding work, especially for all the attention that is paid to the little details. During a wedding, the red carpet is rolled out and the entire bridal party is treated like royalty.

Today, Four Star has a fleet of nine vehicles, including sedans, stretches, SUVs, and its most recent addition, a limobus. The Svensons run the company out of their home office, which is convenient for them as they balance the 24/7 demands of the industry while raising two teenaged boys. They employ a staff of 11. What makes Four Star different, according to Georgieanna, is their personal touch and willingness to do just about anything for their customers. Four Star is the blend of professionalism you’d expect from a large, executive company, without being too large to forget customers’ names and preferences.

Four Star stays in touch with its clients through a monthly newsletter, which includes interesting area information as well as client news. Georgieanna, who has a sales background, knows how important it is to stay in touch after the trip is completed. She sends out a thank you card to Four Star customers at the end of each month to remind them they value their business—and as a way of thanking them for choosing Four Star.

The Svensons are active members of the National Limousine Association and New England Livery Association, as well as their local chamber of commerce. The company is also very involved with local schools, libraries, and police departments.

Perhaps its most important charity, however, is one that is near and dear to their hearts: the annual Austin’s Snowmobile Ride for Cystic Fibrosis fundraiser. Austin, the 6-year-old son of one of Four Star’s mechanics and who has Cystic Fibrosis, has had a profound love of snowmobiles since the time he could talk. For years he had to watch as his family rode snowmobiles and participated in the fundraiser without him—that is, until this year. The Svensons donated a Mini Z snowmobile to Austin, which is kid-sized and governed at under 10 miles an hour for safety.

Four Star solicited donations and found a company that was willing to build the vehicle for the tyke, and then presented it to him this past year. Four Star is a two-time finalist for the Small Operator of the Year Award.

Midsize Operator of the Year
Exclusive Sedan Service (North Hollywood, Calif.)

Finalists: Destination MCO (Lake Buena Vista, Fla.) Premier Transportation (Minneapolis, Minn.) Sterling Rose (Temecula, Calif.)

Exclusive Sedan Service is not your typical limousine service; it is, however, the epitome of a well-run company finding one of its most profitable niches. Located just minutes from all of the major and independent movie studios in Southern California, Exclusive Sedan has built and maintained strong relationships with numerous Hollywood movers and shakers. From the beginning, that is how owner Ron Stein envisioned the company would be: focused on fostering corporate and motion picture and television clientele.

Stein and wife Jackie opened Exclusive Limousine Service in 1980, the same year their son Brandan was born; they later changed the name to Exclusive Sedan Service in 1983. Their success in the first 9 months was evident when they grew from one stretch limousine to four. But Stein wanted to stay small in order to best serve his customers, so he managed the growth of the company as not to lose the balance between excellent service and his family life.

In addition to its fleet of Lincoln, Cadillac, and other luxury-make sedans, SUVs (stretches and non-stretches), vans, and minibuses, the company solely rents its specialty vehicles to numerous Hollywood studios. The cadre of vehicles goes back as far as the 1930s with a Ford stretch limousine as well as a 1940 Cadillac limousine. Exclusive also created a cutaway limousine to be used for filming feature movies and television shows, which has pop-out windows and removable doors and seats for easy filming. The company was even featured in an episode of the Las Vegas-based crime drama series CSI, although its vehicles have been used in hundreds of productions since the 1980s. Even some of its chauffeurs have appeared on the big and small screens.

Its services have not been limited to the movie industry, however. Its diverse clientele range from corporate executives and dignitaries from European and South American countries, to the U.S. Secret Service. Exclusive even does some retail work including weddings and social occasions. Affiliate work is also an important component of its business. Stein mentored his son and in 1999, Brandan joined the company full time. While attending college courses at night, Brandan worked side by side with his father, learning the ways of the industry and the market. His role with the company expanded at a pace that both were comfortable with, eventually moving from director of operators to his current title, vice president of operations. Stein still serves as president.

The younger Stein’s mission has been to grow the company’s affiliate network, which currently serves 250 cities worldwide. Exclusive Sedan has also grown to its current fleet size of 18 with a staff of 16. Together the Steins are committed not only to their customers and community, but also to the industry through their involvement with the Greater California Livery Association and National Limousine Association. Brandan, who finds it an enjoyable challenge to balance the quality, personal service his father created with the growth potential, represents the company in Tom Mazza’s Limousine Benchmarking Group. Brandan, who is a major proponent of education and networking like his father, credits much of his work with the group in empowering him to expand the business.

Both Steins are active members of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, which raises money for pancreatic cancer research and advocacy. Exclusive is also involved with community and national organizations such as the Arthritis Foundation, Boys and Girls Club of America, American Red Cross, and Special Olympics of Southern California, to which the Steins have donated time, money, and vehicles.

Exclusive Sedan is also a steadfast proponent of the “green” movement with a dedicated partnership with Sabertec and the use of its BLADE technology to reduce vehicle emissions. Exclusive is not only the eptiome of a well-run business, but a successful family-run business. The Steins may have different personalities and ways to approach a problem, but they always find the common ground by focusing on the customer.

Large Operator of the Year
Broadway Elite Chauffeured Services Worldwide (East Hanover, N.J.)

Finalists: Bayview Limousine (Seattle, Wa.) Black Tie Limousine (Haverhill, Mass.) Total Luxury Limousine (St. Paul/Minneapolis, Minn.)

Broadway Elite Chauffeured Services Worldwide, under the executive management team of co-owners Gary and Brian Wecksler and COO Jason Sharenow, has grown significantly. The New Jersey-based company is the result of a 2007 merger between the Wecksler’s Elite Limousine (founded in 1994) and Sharenow’s Broadway Limousine (founded in 1998). The recession hasn’t slowed the company down at all.

When the operation debuted as Broadway Elite, it not only gained many customers, it gained several office staff and boosted the fleet count to over 60—but at the expense of office space. Overnight, they outgrew the current facility.

As a testament to its steady and strong growth over the last several years, Broadway Elite recently relocated from a 3,000-square-foot building to a new 25,000-square-foot facility—a site that Sharenow painstakingly sought for nearly a year so that the headquarters remained close to the company’s core customers and local airports.

Located in the heart of one of the most demanding markets in the country, many of the company’s clientele include corporate-based and government contracts. Broadway Elite is within miles of some of the most important financial, medical, and governmental agencies in the country, including major pharmaceutical companies. From their proximity to all major Northeast airports and cities, they literally handle customers from around the world. The company is also in talks to acquire a couple of competitors, which would expand its New Jersey coverage area significantly.

Its corporate and traveling customers are so vital to the success of the company that it has created an advisory board, which was formed to elicit feedback from members on ways to improve service and areas in which to expand. The board is comprised of area business professionals as well as local politicians and industry experts.

Despite its increase in size and minor growing pains from the merger, the executive management team has not lost touch with its core principle: the customer’s experience needs to be safe, prompt, efficient, and professional. New hires are rigorously trained and required to pass proficiency tests before they are allowed to become company chauffeurs. Broadway Elite also employs a director of chauffeur development, who is a National Safety Council-certified instructor. Sharenow serves as the company’s COO and has been in the industry for almost two decades. He oversees the office staff, as well as technology endeavors and all nationwide sales. Sharenow has been a featured speaker at The Limo Digest Show and is currently on the board of directors for the Limousine Associations of New Jersey (LANJ).

Brothers Brian and Gary Wecksler serve as the company’s president and vice president, respectively. Brian dedicates much of his time to the financial aspects of the business and is responsible for managing new accounts and growing sales. Gary’s role is more internal as he manages a staff of over 90 chauffeurs, dipatchers and reservationists, and support staff. Both have been in the industry for 15 years. Brian was also a speaker at the recent Limo Digest Show.

Its officers are actively involved in the community through a variety of charities such as Make-A-Wish and Relay for Life (Breast Cancer Foundation) and local organizations like The Levine Foundation for underprivileged children in Paterson, N.J., and Coats for Kids, a partnership with Warnock Dodge to ensure that children are prepared for the cold Northeast winters. LD