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| Limousine Digest Online Article |
The Idea Sparked by a Soap Opera:
Aladdin Coachworks
— By: Tim McManus
If you have attended the Limo Digest Show in Atlantic City over the past several years, you may know him as "Mr. Comedian," "John Travolta," or most recently, "The Pool Guy." If you have browsed his company website, you know him as "The Man Behind the Sale." And if you have done business with the quick-witted, down home Columbus, Ohio native, you know Archie Snyder as not just a man who is a character, but also a man of character.
From that fusion of purposeful spontaneity and steadfast ideals grew a very prosperous career in the limousine business, capped most recently by the birth of Aladdin Coachworks Incorporated. Along with Mike Anderson, the two bring more than forty years of industry experience to the Riversdale, California-based operation. "Mike has over 20 years in manufacturing, and I have more than 20 in repair and sales. With that combination, we can't help but succeed," Snyder said.
Flashback to 1985, when Snyder's involvement in the limousine world seemed as improbable as safely stretching a Hummer 180 inches. At the time he was working for the Kroger grocery store chain, deep into the second decade of service for the only employer he had ever known. Then one day, his wife Janice had a fateful brainstorm. She had been watching popular television shows spotlighting the glitzy and glamorous life such as Dallas, Knots Landing, and Dynasty, and realized that limos were starting to bubble to the surface of American culture. Sensing an emerging market, she convinced Archie to get in while the getting was good.
The obliging husband hunted down a used, 36-inch stretch Cadillac ("The biggest car I had ever seen," he said) and went into the local bank to get a $16,000 loan. And he was promptly shot down. Determined, he went back a second time. Again, he got rejected. A third time; a third refusal.
Realizing the standard approach was getting him nowhere, Snyder went in the fourth time and asked for $1,000,000, stating that he wanted to be a farmer. At the time, of course, farms were foreclosing and banks were taking the subsequent hits with regularity. When the bank digested his message that his tiny $16,000 loan for a car was low-risk in comparison, they smiled and handed him the check that would jumpstart his new career. What began as a one-car rental operation out of his house evolved into Aladdin Auto Sales. He left Kroger in 1988 and spent the next 17 years cultivating one of the more trusted names in the industry.
The keys to success back then are still in place today. The first is putting an emphasis on quality over quantity, ensuring that attending to every last detail of each car takes priority over quick turnover. "That's what makes people keep coming back," Snyder said. "I only sell the cream of the crop." The second key — which often gets people to come in the first time — is a concentration on making the buying process a personable experience.
So how did Archie Snyder get so many names? A few years back, Snyder was asked to introduce a speaker at the Limo Digest Show in Atlantic City. Feeling the sweet burn of the spotlight, he took the opportunity to deploy his "old West Virginia humor" on the crowd, rattling off jokes that put the audience in stitches. He quickly became known as "Mr. Comedian."
A couple of years later he seized center stage again at the same venue when he decided to break out dancing when a song from the movie "Saturday Night Fever" came on. The only one on the dance floor, he was showered with $1 bills and promptly dubbed John Travolta. Then, at a high-class party at the Taj Majal this past year, Snyder proclaimed the event a little too dry, then jumped fully clothed into the decorative pool. Now, he is "The Pool Guy."
By any name, Snyder has established himself in the industry as a very real and vivid personality. "People gain trust when they know that you are human. It shows that it's not all about the money; it shows that it's about having a good time," he said.
Snyder's good times just got a whole lot more involved. While still operating Aladdin Auto Sales, he also handles sales out of his Ohio office for Aladdin Coachworks Incorporated. Anderson, who has worked with Tiffany Coach among others through his esteemed 20-plus year career, heads the manufacturing operation out in California. Their first cars out of production in September, Anderson, Snyder and their 28 astute employees have manufactured 35 cars, selling all but nine of them already.
"I am so happy to report that we have had no major problems with our product. And that's what we strive for — perfection," Snyder said. "We are constantly trying to make changes to create the perfectly built car, SUV or whatever. All we want to do is build a product that is going to last."
Aladdin Coachworks Incorporated built two finely crafted 140" Excursions for November's Limo Digest Show, vehicles that generated so much attention that Snyder and Anderson were occupied until about 11 each night. They have also built several Hummers, Chrysler 300s, and Navigators that are sculpted and shined down to the last detail. Proof that they stand behind their cars, Aladdin Coachworks has a two-year, 24,000 mile warranty on the conversion, and also offers the chance to purchase a 36,000-mile unlimited warranty. To take a look at the wide range of vehicles yourself, visit www.aladdinlimousines.net.
Though the limousines seem to be going out before the paint even gets a chance to dry, Anderson and Snyder are not inclined to dramatically up their production. In fact, they prefer to build only six to eight vehicles per month. The reason stems from the same principles that have defined Snyder's career to date: It's not about visions of grandeur, but visions of grand cars. "When we got into this, the goal was not to get rich. We plan to retire some day at a very old age doing what we do. We did not get in this business as a 'get in, get out' venture," Snyder said.
So Snyder creeps into work early in the morning and crawls out late at night, preferring to take the hands-on approach that has made him so successful in the industry to which he is dedicated. Besides, what good would "The Man Behind The Sale" be if he wasn't in the office?
And "The Woman Behind The Idea," his wife Janice, remains his 50-50 partner and one of the most dedicated workers at Aladdin. ("Although," joked Snyder, "she only works about two-and-a-half hours a day. You can put that in parentheses.") But given that it was Janice's brainstorm that sparked this most rewarding 20-year run, it's certainly a fair tradeoff.
To contact Archie, Janice, and the rest of the Aladdin crew, visit
www.aladdinlimousines.net, call (614) 891-4330, or fax Aladdin Coachworks at (614) 898 5067. LD |
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