Houston’s Avanti and A Ambassador Announce Merger

Avanti CEO and President Erich Reindl

Houston — Effective January 1, 2017, Avanti Transportation and A Ambassador Limousine & Transportation have merged their operations.

Avanti’s Erich Reindl will retain his titles of CEO and president while A Ambassador’s Mike Hajek will remain on board in an undetermined managerial capacity, which Reindl said will “definitely involve sales and marketing.”

Reindl added that unifying the two Texas businesses will create one of the largest companies in not only the Houston region but also the state—and was a decision that both he and Hajek feel will yield untold benefits to both outfits.

“It’s a combination that gives both companies a great opportunity because we have something the other company doesn’t have, and vice versa,” Reindl said. “It’s a really good fit with incredible advantages down the road. We don’t overlap on any of our accounts. It’s really a compelling financial and strategic transaction, I think.”

The merger, which was closed on December 30, comes after roughly a month of conversations and determining how the two companies will combine their employees, fleet, offices, and resources. Reindl was emphatic that the entire A Ambassador team is welcome to remain on the team.

“We explained that nobody is getting fired,” Reindl explained. “I have no intention of letting anyone go.”

While the two companies have a combined 150-vehicle fleet—including four buses from Avanati and 36 from A Ambassador, plus sedans, Mercedes-Benz Sprinters, and SUVs—Reindl said that they will work to “trim the fat,” getting rid of older vehicles that don’t need to be replaced to “increase the fleet’s efficiency.”

The companies will work from Avanti’s three-acre property, which Reindl hopes to outgrow “in the near future,” as they combine their strengths to both companies’ benefit.

“A Ambassador has year-long contracts on their buses that Avanti doesn’t have. They have passenger airlines where they transport the crew and the first-class passenger, while Avanti has the cargo airlines,” Reindl said. “I consider Avanti an old-style limousine company as we knew it 15 or 20 years ago. We are strong in that market and nationwide: We not only have affiliate work but also clients nationwide. That is our strength.”

The merger comes as a response to an ever-changing industry, one that Reindl sees as having changed tremendously in the past five years especially in ways that put larger companies at an advantage.

“Smaller companies may run into difficulties moving forward—some of them are already facing hardships. I’m not saying a larger company doesn’t have that problem, but a larger company maybe has the resources to get through that. On top if it, we will be, as a larger company, able to attract and go after clients that smaller companies would not have the opportunity to,” Reindl said. “And with TNCs, we haven’t been as affected as the taxi industry—yet. But it could come. All I know is that the cake did not get any bigger and everyone out there is nibbling on the cake. I think at this stage, bigger is better.”

Visit avantilimos.com and aambassador.com for more information.

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A New Year, a New Last Name

Mary Beall and Dan Johnson

Phoenix — In a truly celebratory new beginning on January 1, 2017, The Driver Provider’s Mary Beall married her fiancé Dan Johnson at their Arizona home.

The wedding seemed like an impromptu event to most of the Johnsons’ eight guests—including Mary’s son and daughter-in-law—who were all emphatically told “to come to the house dressed in jeans and sweats” for a cozy dinner to ring in 2017. The only attendee in on the surprise was Joe Guinn of Limo & Bus Compliance, as Mary tapped the ordained minister to officiate the couple’s low-key nuptials.

“No one had any idea they were being invited to a wedding,” said Mary, who is also on the Chauffeur Driven Charity Committee. “We told everyone that we were just inviting them to a casual dinner. My son laughed when I told him I was getting married right now.”

The couple recently celebrated their two-year anniversary in December, leading to a short engagement that was soon followed by the New Year’s Day wedding ceremony in the couple’s living room.

The entire Chauffeur Driven team extends their warmest wishes for a lifetime of happiness to the newlyweds.

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KLTS Limousine Acquires LJ Transportation

San Diego, Calif. — KLTS Limousine has announced the acquisition of one of Southern California’s oldest limousine operations, LJ Transportation. Following its most successful fiscal year-to-date, KLTS made its first move in a plan to acquire companies in order to establish nationwide roots. KLTS hopes this acquisition will catapult the 13-year-old company to the forefront of San Diego’s leading ground transportation providers.

Following the acquisition, KLTS Limousine will house 42 senior chauffeurs, and a new fleet of 40+ vehicles. LJ Transportation will continue to operate under its name at its current location, which will also serve as a second headquarters for KLTS.  

“I look forward to combining the potential and quality of service my team and I have built KLTS upon and the 30-plus years of great business LJ holds to this day,” said KLTS President & CEO Mike Muhsin. “I think this merger of old and new will bring KLTS to an exciting place as a serious player in the Southern California market. With this expansion, KLTS plans to concentrate on gaining affiliates, large groups as well as new accounts nationwide.”

Founded as a one-car operation in 2003, KLTS is San Diego’s second largest ground transportation provider. LJ Transportation was founded in 1985 by owner Calvin Steria.

Visit kltstransportation.com for more information.

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Chosen Payments Adopts Two Families for Christmas

Moorpark, Calif. — Credit card processor Chosen Payments recently helped two families in need have a “Chosen Christmas” by donating presents and gift cards this holiday season. The company selected a family in the Midwest as well as a local household who have been struggling with financial issues over the year.

In Michigan, Chosen Payments assisted a family of five, whose middle child, Melody, suffers from Moebius syndrome, a rare neurological disorder characterized by weakness or paralysis of multiple cranial nerves. The condition puts Melody in the hospital for months at a time, which puts a hefty financial burden on the family. 

After hearing of the family’s plight, Sarah McKee, Chosen’s VIP client relationship manager, arranged for the company to adopt the family, and she and CEO Jeff Brodsly travel to meet the family in person. In addition to the gifts donated by Chosen Payments others in the family’s community came forward and made a mortgage payment for them.

In their hometown, Chosen assisted a family a single mom raising three kids. This Moorpark family was brought to the company’s attention through the local chapter of the Boys and Girls Club. Chosen acted as Santa, and gifted the children with toys, sporting goods, clothes, and shoes as well as a family dinner at Red Lobster.

Visit chosenpayments.com for more information.

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Addison Lee Expands Market Reach With Flyte Tyme Acquisition

Addison Lee CEO Andy Boland

London— Addison Lee, Europe’s largest private hire car service company, recently acquired Flyte Tyme Worldwide Transportation and Flyte Line Transportation to create “the world’s leading executive car service.” The acquisition is intended to strengthen the Addison Lee Group’s established North American business—bringing combined North American annual revenue to in excess of $100m—and bolster its position as the leading provider of managed ground transport services globally.

“This is an important moment for the executive car industry,” said Addison Lee CEO Andy Boland. “Flyte Tyme has deep expertise and an extensive affiliate network in the United States. By combining Flyte Tyme’s North American presence with Tristar’s global operations and Addison Lee’s digital booking platforms, we can now truly lead the ground transportation industry providing, for the first time, global managed ground transportation services through a single platform.”

Addison Lee Group’s North American businesses will be run by Flyte Tyme Worldwide Transportation CEO Timothy P. Rose, who will serve as CEO of Addison Lee North America.

“We feel that Addison Lee and Flyte Tyme are a perfect match, since both firms strive to provide and deliver the highest quality ground transportation in their respective marketplaces,” said Rose. “Through this acquisition, we will be able to leverage our combined technology and client service capabilities to deliver a truly global service for our clients.”

The Flyte Tyme acquisition is the latest step in Addison Lee’s global growth strategy. Earlier in the year, Addison Lee, which is owned by US private equity firm The Carlyle Group, acquired executive car service Tristar Worldwide which operates in 80 countries across the globe. Addison Lee has also expanded its operations to cities around the UK which are now bookable on the Addison Lee app.

Visit addisonlee.com or flytetymelimo.com for more information.

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Hy’s Limousine Worldwide Celebrates ‘Blue Sapphire’ 65th Anniversary

Bob and Matt Levine

West Haven, Conn. — Hy’s Limousine Wordwide is proud to announce that they’ve recently celebrated its 65th anniversary in 2016.

Founded by Hyman Levine in in 1951 with a single Packard Limousine, the company flourished under the leadership of Hyman and son Bob, sgrowing into the largest livery service in Connecticut.

Harry Truman was President and Elizabeth II was still a Princess, when Hy bought the Packard. A Streetcar Named Desire hit the movie houses as Hyman’s car hit New Haven. It was a big star at weddings back then and the business grew on the bridal, funeral and special event bookings. When Bob joined the business right out of college he recognized that there was an opportunity to book “over-the-road” transportation and began buying the company’s first sedans and by 1980 they were up to 28 vehicles. Ground broke for the new 15,000sf headquarters in West Haven in 1982. Sadly Hy’s lost Hyman just months before the Grand Opening. Bob took the helm and has charted a course of great success fueled by a commitment to excellence.

Hy’s opened a second office in New Britain in 1998 to better serve upper Connecticut and Massachusetts, and acquired Greeenwich Executive Transportation in 2015 to anchor service in lower Fairfield County, Westchester County, NY and New York City (Hy’s is MassPort and NYTLC permitted).

Hyman and Bob Levine

By the time Bob’s son Matthew Levine joined in 2008, the business had expanded to a 100-vehicle fleet. After a stint in New York City in the marketing department at Rolling Stone magazine following his graduation from Syracuse, Matt fell into the family business.

“Part of me really wanted to set out and create my own path, but the pull of the family and the heritage of this business was just too strong. I was so proud of my grandfather and my father growing up, having built this amazing company and working so hard to do business and serve customers the right way, I realized that I want to help carry on this legacy as well,” Matt says.

Bob added “As you might imagine I was thrilled to have Matt decide to come home and continue what his grandfather started. But it wasn’t just the family thing. Matt brought back a really valuable set of skills. The advances he initiated in technology have put us at the forefront of the industry and his marketing experience has delivered measurable results. And you can rest assured that it wasn’t me who put us on Facebook, Twitter and the like!”

The original Packard Limousine purchased by Hyman Levine

One of the benefits of a long, successful history is the opportunity to be a part of the fabric of a great community Hy’s contributes to many area charities and causes and is most proud of its partnership with the Make-a-Wish Foundation that has resulted in many fulfilled wishes and broad smiles. Bob adds with a grin “the kids do light up when a shiny super stretch pulls up.”

So the Blue Sapphire 65th Anniversary is upon Hy’s Limousine Worldwide and there is a great deal of pride in the history and a clear-eyed vision for the future. “My grandfather used to say ‘Every ride has to be perfect’. That hasn’t changed,” says Matthew Levine.

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