10 Innovative Motorcoach Operators (2006)

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METRO’s
Motorcoach Operators
2006
10
Innovative
This year’s crop of outstanding motorcoach operators
includes a full-service travel agency, a purveyor of
Canadian pride, a ski-trip charter operator, a tropical tour
provider and much, much more.We think these profiles
have something for everyone to appreciate.
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10 Innovative Motorcoach Operators of 2006
Showing off the Windy City
The Chicago Sightseeing Co.
Chicago
F
or nearly 100 years, the
Chicago Sightseeing Co.
has moved people through
the Windy City for sightseeing, commuting and charter transportation purposes. The parent company currently owns and operates five
smaller businesses — American Sightseeing, Gray Line of Chicago, Prairie
Trailways, Chicago’s Original Trolley
Lines and the O’Hare Express.
These companies operate a number
of important transportation services,
ness types while not losing sight of the
company’s origin,” says Chris Ferrone,
vice president of engineering.
During his time spent with the company, Ferrone has attempted to advance the safety, mechanical understanding and the incorporation of new
products and procedures for the motorcoach industry. “During this period
of time, our buses have been widely
used as a test platform for such projects as an initial trial usage of biodiesel
and retro-reflective tape used for con-
panel corrosion and a lecture on how to
prevent and understand motorcoach
fires. Chicago Sightseeing has taken advantage of all of these programs.
Ferrone credits much of the technical successes developed in his garage
to having a staff of experienced and
skilled mechanics. “Their skills and
understanding of the business give me
the ability to periodically work on
other engineering issues which benefit
our firm and the industry long term.”
Ferrone further attributes some of
At a Glance
Motorcoaches: 23
Fleet mix: 10 MCIs, 10 trolleys, 3 upper-deck coaches
Employees: 45
Drivers: 30
Year started: 1907
Service area: Chicago and the Midwest
Services offered: Scheduled service, charter, tour
Average annual mileage: 750,000 to 900,000
VP of engineering: Chris Ferrone (pictured)
Chicago Sightseeing provides multiple important and prestigious transportation jobs in Chicago, including being the
operator of choice when the President comes to town.
in some cases running 24 hours a day.
For example, in recent years Chicago
Sightseeing has become the official
carrier of the White House when the
President comes to Chicago. Beyond
that, the company also utilizes its resources to support organizations
such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation by providing transportation for
the families and friends of terminally
ill children.
The system utilizes luxury motorcoaches manufactured by MCI, a fleet
of trolleys and three upper-deck buses
manufactured by Roman Chariot.
“This diversified group of vehicles allows us to cover a wide range of busi-
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spicuousness,” he says. “Additionally,
we have developed a life extension
plan for Detroit Diesel Series 92 engines, implemented refrigerant retrofits and tested the S-1 Pedestrian Guard
for transit buses and the Zonar electronic pre-trip inspection system.”
Chicago Sightseeing also has a close
affiliation with a consulting firm called
Americoach Systems, which provides
mechanical analysis and transportation
technology to the industry. In the past,
Americoach has developed an introduction program for low-sulfur diesel fuel,
repair programs for extreme mileage vehicles, vehicle remanufacturing guidelines, prevention/repair methods for
the company’s overall success to the organizations of which it is a member.
Gray Line, Trailways and the American
Bus Association all contribute some
form of synergy, he says. “Having national groups you can reach out to enables us to broaden our business radius,”
Ferrone adds.
Chicago Sightseeing, which will celebrate its 100th anniversary in June of
2007, has been a family-run business
since Henry Ferrone purchased the
stock in 1919. Through it all, the Ferrone philosophy has been cut and dried.
“We repair buses and advance technology, but we always keep in mind that it’s
the passengers who pay the bills.”
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Diversified service paying off
Silverado Stages Inc.
San Luis Obispo,Calif.
H
aving a diverse revenue
stream is the only way to
survive in the bus business
today, says Jim Galusha,
CEO of Silverado Stages Inc., based in
San Luis Obispo, Calif. It is this diversity, coupled with growth through acquisition that has been the key to success
for his company, which originally operated as Quest Transportation.
Galusha founded Quest in 1998, using
a 21-passenger cutaway to conduct wine
country tours. He gradually moved on to
“It was a good acquisition for both
companies; the founder of Silverado
still works for the company today.”
In addition to operating tours and
charters, Silverado has a contract with
Amtrak to operate a line run service
that connects rural areas to established
train routes. Silverado operates 21
buses daily in various locations for
this service. Although it is not a big
moneymaker, Galusha says it is a good
tool to retain drivers. “When our charter business is down, we can provide
this account. Vehicle amenities will
include satellite TV and radio, as well
as 12-volt connectors for laptops and
aircraft-style food trays.
Keeping a stable of new vehicles is
also part of the company’s business
philosophy to attract new customers as
well as possible new drivers. “We generate a lot of applicants from people seeing our newer, nicer equipment on the
road,” Galusha says.
More than half of the fleet is equipped
with GPS capability, which the company
At a Glance
Motorcoaches: 39
Fleet mix: 14 MCI, 11 Prevost, 7 Setra, 7 Van Hool
Employees: 120
Drivers: 80
Year started: 1987 (acquired by Quest in 1998)
Service area: California, Nevada, Arizona
Services offered: Scheduled service, charter, tour
Average annual mileage: 3 million
CEO/President: Jim Galusha (pictured)
Through a set contract, Silverado motorcoaches connect
with Amtrak lines, creating a service that links rural
areas with established train routes.
offering other destinations and expanding his fleet with larger buses. In 1999
Galusha began growing the company by
acquiring a small Santa Barbara-basedoperation with six buses. In 2001, he acquired a larger company with five buses
and a fleet of limousines.
In 2002, Quest acquired Silverado, a
well-established company with a large
customer base. This same year, Galusha
converted Quest’s bus services to operate solely under the Silverado Stages
name, while Quest would operate as
the service and maintenance company.
the full-time drivers with work
through these Amtrak contracts.”
Silverado will soon add airport shuttle to its diverse list of services. After a
nearly two-year application process,
the company was granted authority
by the California Public Utilities
Commission to establish a shuttle service. The service will originate in San
Luis Obispo and run south to Los Angeles International Airport and then
service the cruise ship terminals in
San Pedro and Long Beach. Galusha
has ordered two new Setra S417s for
can track via cell phone, Blackberry or
the Internet. “With the Amtrak contracts, using [GPS] has been critical because we have to maintain tight control
over those buses,” Galusha says. Use of
the technology has also been beneficial
on the employee side, he adds, as the drivers know they are being monitored.
Looking to the future of his company, Galusha says growth is key. “My
philosophy is there are really only two
types of companies, those that are
growing and those that are dying. So,
we want to be on the growing side.”
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10 Innovative Motorcoach Operators of 2006
Service with Southern charm
Daniel’s Charters
Atlanta
T
he story of Daniel’s Charters began like so many
other business success stories — within a close-knit
family. Brothers Jimmy and Rickey
Cantrell discovered that they each
had a special talent after loading their
families into an old bus and taking
them on a 10-day vacation in the early
1990s. Jimmy had a knack for conducting business, while Rickey had a background in maintenance and auto
bodywork. And through these skills, a
partnership was born.
“Everyone’s got buses,” quips
Cantrell, “but only some operators
provide a truly higher level of service.” This service-first attitude explains why 99% of Daniel’s business
comes from repeat customers.
Cantrell describes the company’s
image as primarily a reflection of its
exceptional drivers. “We are fortunate
because we’re located in a popular retirement spot for Atlanta business executives,” he says. “We have drivers
who are retired and working part time,
and they are excellent people — CEOs,
lite TV-equipped coaches for athletic
teams, who are hungry for around-theclock sports coverage.
Negotiating fixed-price fuel contracts far in advance, along with engineering a higher gear ratio on the
back ends of its fleet of Prevost buses,
saved countless dollars in diesel fuel.
Other innovations include a rigorous
parts-replacement program, intense
preventive maintenance and a 10step driver-training program, which
requires every new driver to spend
his first day on the job with a clean-
At a Glance
Motorcoaches: 12
Fleet mix: Prevost
Employees: 28
Year started: 1998
Service area: Georgia, U.S. and Canada
Services offered: 85% charter, 15% tour
Average annual mileage: 750,000
Average annual ridership: 160,000
Owners: Rickey and Jimmy Cantrell (pictured)
What ultimately drives business at Daniel’s Charters, says
owner Jimmy Cantrell, is the fine line between success
and failure.
Since the establishment of the operation with one used coach in 1998,
Daniel’s Charters, named after the biblical story of Daniel and the lion’s den,
has seen an explosion in tour and charter business over the past few years. In
less than a decade, the company has
become a full-service fleet operator,
and in 2005 alone, Daniel’s increased
its gross sales by 62%. Yet through it
all, says Jimmy Cantrell, the business
has retained a small-town Southern
charm, emphasizing trust and customer relations over all else.
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judges and one who was a space program commander at Cape Canaveral.”
But Daniel’s Charters is more than
just a smiling face. The company’s success is a direct result of shrewd business planning, equipment investments
and inventive risk-taking. For example, several years ago, Cantrell says, the
company correctly predicted that outfitting all its buses with DVD players
— at a time when VHS was still prevalent — would become a huge passenger attraction. The same decision is
being made now with regard to satel-
ing crew, learning how to clean the
buses. “Before they ever do anything
else here, and this includes experienced drivers, they are going to learn
what our buses are supposed to look
like,” says Cantrell.
But what ultimately drives the business, says Cantrell, is the fine line between success and failure. “There aren’t
a whole lot of mysteries in the motorcoach industry, so the only way to distinguish yourself from the competition
is to understand your bottom line and
to take your service to the next level.”
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Customer service reigns supreme
Dan Dipert Tours
Arlington,Texas
D
an Dipert Tours was
founded by Dan Dipert
in 1974 as a tour company. In 1980, Dan bought
his first bus and slowly started adding
to the fleet. Today, the fleet numbers
19 buses, and the company offers
charter and tour services. Dan has
since retired and has turned the reins
over to his son and daughter, Dan W.
Dipert and Autumn Dipert-Brown.
Both agree that recruiting and train-
imperative for other staff members.
The company recently completed a
four-day training program on complaint resolution. The new process entails that the initial contact person
who takes the call “owns” the call.
Complaints are then investigated and
resolved. “They are not allowed to
transfer the call to someone else,”
Dipert-Brown says. Complaint resolutions are now completed in one day,
instead of a week.
quoted $2,000 or more. “I personally
call the contact the day after we give
them the quote to make sure everything went well, thank them for calling us and ask if they are ready to book
with us,” he says.
Utilization of buses makes up the
next part of the philosophy. Dipert will
double, triple and even quadruple book
buses on Fridays and Saturdays — their
busiest days — to get the most work
from the vehicle. “That’s a real tribute
At a Glance
Motorcoaches: 19
Fleet mix: MCI, Prevost
Employees: 61
Drivers: 27
Year started: 1972
Service area: North America, Mexico
Services offered: Charter, tour
Operating partners: Autumn Dipert-Brown and
Dan Dipert (both pictured)
Dipert will double, triple and even quadruple book buses
on Fridays and Saturdays — their busiest days — to get
the maximum work from a vehicle.
ing the right people has helped give
the company an edge in offering its
customers outstanding customer service. Because drivers play a crucial
role in this strategy, the company created a profile of what a successful Dan
Dipert driver should be — early retired, 52 to 57 years old, male or female professional. “We are hiring people based on their personality and not
their proficiency. I prefer that [applicants] don’t already have CDLs or any
prior experience,” says Dipert-Brown.
Customer service training is also
In addition to the new customer
service strategy, the company instituted a new sales policy at the start of
2005 to help boost business after it
lost four of its top clients in a school
district bid situation. “We were going
to start the year with a nearly 10%
loss of business — and that’s a lot for
us,” says Dipert.
A sign with the letters CUT hangs in
the sales office to remind sales staff of
the new policy — callbacks, utilization
and tiered pricing. Dipert calls back
any potential client who has been
to our dispatch and our drivers because
they are the ones that have to service
that,” Dipert says.
Tiered pricing composes the last
part of the new sales plan. “We price
ourselves exactly like a hotel. When
it’s busy, we’re expensive; when it’s
not, we are not expensive,” Dipert
says. The sales staff has met very little
resistance to this new pricing strategy.
Since the CUT program was installed,
the company has seen a 24% increase
in sales compared to the same time
in 2004.
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10 Innovative Motorcoach Operators of 2006
One-stop shop for skiers
Kincaid Coach Lines Inc.
Edwardsville,Kan.
T
here is a company maxim
often repeated at Kincaid
Coach Lines: “A successful
team beats with one heart.”
It might come off rather touchy-feely,
but to Vice President Dale Bohn, it is
an effective summary of Kincaid’s prevailing philosophy. From driver recruitment and retention to customer
service and safety, this philosophy reinforces every action at the company.
wholesaler of lift tickets to various resorts in Colorado, including Winter
Park, Breckenridge, Copper and Keystone,” says Bohn.
Furthermore, the company has
come up with an ideal ski package that
targets the Midwestern region with
overnight “sleeper trips.” More than
half of the motorcoaches in the fleet
can be converted so that the seats become bunk beds, enabling as many as
Rockies for a week and a half and teach
them how to drive in the mountains,”
says Bohn. “It’s a totally different type of
driving up in those valleys and passes.
This training really makes them better.”
Additionally, the coaches themselves are
kept in tip-top shape through a seasonal, interval-based preventive maintenance program.
The shift in Kincaid’s company focus
toward full-service tour and travel
At a Glance
Motorcoaches: 45, 6 other buses
Fleet mix: MCI
Employees: 125
Year started: 1977
Service area: Lincoln, Neb.;Wichita, Kan.;Tulsa, Okla.;
Kansas City, Mo.; Panama City, Fla.; U.S. and Canada
Services offered: Charter, tour, travel agency,
ski package broker
Average annual mileage: 3.2 million
Vice president: Dale Bohn
“As long as we are all on the same
page and all working together, then we
are going to feel pretty good about
what we’re doing,” says Bohn.
What the company does best is specialize in providing comprehensive
ski-trip packages. Kincaid, which is
also a full-service travel agency licensed to book anything from airlines
to cruises, has set up a ski division for
this purpose. “We outfit the coaches
with ski pegs, take care of lodging with
our exclusive condo rights, and we’re a
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Kincaid Coach Lines has a ski division that books lodging,
sells lift tickets and provides overnight transportation to
several popular resorts in Colorado.
40 passengers to sleep while the bus is
operating. According to Bohn, this
configuration is ideal for residents in
the area because a bus can leave Kansas
City, for example, around 7 p.m. and
arrive at a ski resort by 6 a.m. the following morning. “I’ve heard we have
the largest conversion fleet in the
country,” he adds.
Of course, another important consideration involved in ski trips is the condition of the vehicles and the skill of the
drivers. “We take our drivers up into the
agency has fostered a concentration
on building long-term business relationships, replete with multi-year contracts. “We are not going to give you a
low price to get your business and then
down the road jack it up on you. We
are in it for the long haul,” says Bohn.
“Typically, we work with a customer
for the first year and try to show them
that we provide great service, and if it
works well for them and works well for
us, we want to become a business partner with that customer.”
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Safety focus helps bottom line
Starline Luxury Coaches
Seattle
F
orward- and aft-facing cameras mounted on the windshields of Starline Luxury
Coaches coaches in Seattle
eliminate frivolous lawsuits and encourage drivers to focus on safety, says
CEO Gladys Gillis.
Though the DriveCams operate continuously, they only save footage
recorded 10 seconds prior to or 10 seconds following a hard-breaking event
or a swerve. “It’s a real-time record of
the interior bus environment and the
exterior, but it only saves the data if
tem is to watch your following distance. If a driver has a habit of following too closely, he will also tend to
brake hard, which will constitute a
recordable event. During a feedback
meeting, the videotapes are used for a
point-by-point self-assessment. “We’ve
found that this makes drivers aware of
things that they may not have otherwise paid attention to,” says Gillis. “We
believe that whenever you can improve
the way people drive, it reflects well on
the company and on the industry. And
that’s good for the bottom line.”
“This way it’s delegated to someone
to get it done,” says Gillis. “It’s one
thing to say something should be done,
it’s another thing to do something
about it, and it’s still another to keep it
on the radar screen at all times. That’s
what our system does.”
Other hallmarks of Starline’s success include cross-training to ensure
that full-time drivers are kept busy,
team building and idea sharing across
departments, good benefits and good
pay, and a proactive approach to getting things done.
At a Glance
Motorcoaches: 17
Fleet mix: 13 MCI, 4 Prevost,
Employees: 98
Drivers: 86
Service area: 90% of business in Puget Sound
area of Washington state
Average annual mileage: 981,469
Average annual ridership: 555,433
Year started: 1998
CEO: Gladys Gillis (pictured)
there is a significant change in the G
force,” Gillis says.
“Rarely a year goes by without someone saying that he or she was injured
by one of our drivers,” Gillis says.
“Since we’ve installed cameras, three
people have initially said they were
hurt in an incident, but all three have
walked away when they found out we
had the event on videotape. They knew
they couldn’t win.”
Starline purchased the DriveCams
primarily to serve as a foundation for
its Smith System driver-training program. The first point in the Smith Sys-
Starline Luxury Coaches’ fleet of motorcoaches have been
equipped with DriveCam video recording systems, which
have helped to stave off frivolous lawsuits.
In the garage, too, employee accountability is aided by technology. A
computerized shop-control system focuses employees on the things that
need to be done but are often overlooked. Many mechanics feel that if
the buses are running smoothly, efficiently and safely, they’ve done their
job. Few might consider a complete
audit of the entertainment system unless a driver complains that it isn’t
working properly. With Starline’s shop
control system, the entertainment system is checked on a regular basis, thereby avoiding breakdowns.
Treating employees well and allowing
them to share in the company’s success
have served Starline well, earning it a
place on the Puget Sound Business Journal’s list of the 100 fastest-growing private businesses in Washington state. The
company’s rate of growth between 2002
and 2004 was a phenomenal 80%.
Despite Starline’s impressive track
record, the company is not interested
in expanding beyond the Puget Sound
area. “Though we have the opportunity to grow all our profit centers,”
says Gillis, “we’re pretty content in
Seattle.”
— HEIDI NYE
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It’s all in the packaging
Gold Coast Tours
Brea,Calif.
W
“
e are our largest customer,” says John
Hartley, president
of Gold Coast
Tours in Brea, Calif. “We sell the packages we create rather than book a coach
only when someone calls us. We’re a
tour operator within a coach company.”
Hartley estimates that 25% of Gold
Coast’s business is its own tours. By
buying large blocks of rooms in Las
Vegas or tickets at the Hollywood Bowl
allows us to control our business so we
don’t have 100 buses out on one day
and zero out on another,” says Hartley.
“This sets us apart. Our buses are busy
every day so our people don’t starve
during slow times.”
The ethic of “no down time” rules
the garage too. If a bus breaks down
and sits for five days, waiting for parts,
“it’s a killer,” Hartley says. “Just the
bank payment on the loan is $6,000 a
month per bus. So a bus that isn’t mov-
Bus (SPAB) instructor, a program administered by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and the California
Department of Education.
To encourage safety and professionalism, drivers are awarded with trip
giveaways, TVs or a night on the town
for staying accident-free and arriving
to work on time.
“Turnover is a big problem in this
industry,” Hartley says. “It’s a real pain
to train a new person who is not going
At a Glance
Motorcoaches: 46
Fleet mix: Van Hool, Prevost, MCI
Employees: 126
Service area: 75% in California, but services all
48 contiguous states
Drivers: 70
Average annual mileage: 4 million
Average annual ridership: 525,000
Year started: 1975
President: John Hartley (pictured)
or Angel Stadium, and then selling
these events as tour packages, Gold
Coast keeps the revenue stream flowing during the typically slow months
of July and November. “July is hot, so
tourists don’t like to come to California,” Hartley says. “And in November,
fall sports are winding down and winter sports haven’t begun.”
Custom-designed software enables
Gold Coast to pinpoint slow times,
dispatch to work more efficiently and
preplan packages to keep buses moving and drivers busy year-round. “This
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Gold Coast Tours in Brea, Calif., has been able to stay busy
during traditionally slow periods by using scheduling
software to dispatch work more efficiently.
ing is a crusher. To keep that from happening, we have a full inventory of
parts, as many parts as the supplier
who sells to us.”
Mechanics are scheduled to work
when they’re most needed. Between 7
a.m. and 4 p.m., the buses are out, so
mechanics can’t work on them. That’s
why Gold Coast mechanics come in at
2 or 3 a.m. to make sure everything is
ready to go before the buses head out.
Rigorous inspections and in-service
training are conducted by an on-staff
state-certified Special Pupil Activity
to stay.” Gold Coast’s philosophy of
“pay them well, treat them well, and
they’ll stay” has paid off with longterm employees, 10 of whom have 200
combined years with the company.
Gold Coast focuses on customer retention as well. “A lot of people feel
that if they’re a one-time customer,
they won’t get the same treatment as
large customers do. Well, that’s just
not true with us. We give the same service 365 days a year to our largest customers and our smallest.”
— HEIDI NYE
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Running on Canadian pride
Great Canadian Trailways
Kitchener,Ontario
G
reat Canadian Trailways,
originally called Travel
Ventures, was founded in
1984 as a tour company by
Larry Hundt and his wife Lorna. The
name change came about in 1998 to
complement the company’s newfound
commitment to promoting Canada
and its rich history.
This commitment originated from
a 1995 referendum vote nearly passed
that would have separated the
province of Quebec from Canada.
the on-staff airbrush artist, for the
project’s success.
To help promote the country’s history and its people, the company also developed a specialized tour program
called “The Fabric of Canada,” now in
its sixth year. “When we travel across
Canada, people enjoy the scenery and
love the areas we take them to, but they
never really understand the people in
those areas,” Hundt says.
These tours include organized
events featuring entertainment pro-
highly skilled professional who can
take them to a lot of tour destinations,
know those areas really well and be
able to impart valuable experiences and
information rather than just drive
them from point A to point B,” Hundt
says. Additionally, having highly skilled
drivers serves as a selling point for the
company when it offers its services to
outside tour companies.
Great Canadian is also focused on
expanding its customer base by developing more tour products for a
At a Glance
Motorcoaches: 32
Fleet mix: 28 Prevost, 2 MCI, 2 Setra
Employees: 120
Drivers: 75
Year started: 1984
Service area: Southern Ontario
Services offered: Tour, charter
Average annual mileage: 3 million
Average annual ridership: 254,000
Owner: Larry Hundt (pictured)
From that moment on, Hundt and his
wife were “committed to doing something as a company to help promote
Canadian pride.” Thus was born the
idea of painting the company’s fleet
of buses to commemorate Canadian
historical themes. The first bus, painted in 1995, features scenery spanning
both coasts. Coaches were also given
a number signifying an historical
event. Hundt said the coaches are real
crowd pleasers, with certain groups
identifying with particular themes.
He credits the talent of Dave Sopha,
To help promote the diverse history, geography and people of Canada, Great Canadian has developed a tour program called “The Fabric of Canada.”
vided by local people. The idea was to
give travelers an opportunity to meet
local people and learn about local customs, Hundt says. “We wanted it so
that people could come back from
their vacations and say that they had
a chance to meet a coal miner in Nova
Scotia, a fisherman in Newfoundland
and maybe a potato farmer from P.E.I.
[Prince Edward Island].”
In addition to the specialized programs, Great Canadian’s drivers are
also key components to the success of
the tour. “Customers today want a
younger audience. Its newest program, developed with NASCAR Canada, includes weekend getaways tailored around racing events. Other
benefits from the partnership include
promotional opportunities for the
company at various racing events and
being named the official carrier for
the racing association. “We take them
away for the weekend and give them
some independence, so they don’t
have the same structured itinerary as
the regular schedule tours or senior
groups do,” Hundt says.
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Hands-on strategy is a success
R&J Transportation Inc.,
Pottsville,Pa.
R
&J Transportation Inc.
celebrated its 25th year in
business last April, quite
an achievement for a company that struggled through hard
times in the 1980s.
“Times keep getting tougher, but
you have to keep up with the
tours, as well as a 120-mile daily commuter run to Harrisburg.
“We want to stay where we’re at,”
Newswanger says, explaining that
the company’s relatively small size
allows him to remain a hands-on
influence.
“I do tours and clean up the bus
his customers. “They realized what
was going on in regard to our additional overhead,” he says. “Plus, we
sell our service, we don’t sell price.”
To maintain his customer base,
Newswanger uses a combination of
newspaper and radio advertising. He
also has uses the company’s Website to
At a Glance
Motorcoaches: 10
Fleet mix: MCI
Employees: 93
Service area: East Coast
Drivers: 20
Year started: 1980
Services: charter, tour, commuter, school
transportation
Annual mileage: 350,000
Annual ridership: 160,000
Website: www.rjtours.com
R&J Transportation’s newest MCI coach features a patriotic theme. The Pennsylvania-based tour and charter operator recently celebrated its 25th anniversary.
President: Jay Newswanger (pictured)
changes,” says Jay L. Newswanger,
president of R&J, located in Pottsville,
Pa., about 60 miles northeast of Harrisburg. Newswanger’s brother, Ken,
is the shop foreman.
Jay and his father, Raymond,
launched the company in 1980. Less
than a year later, Jay’s father died,
leaving him alone to run the fledgling business. He persevered.
“I didn’t have any choice,”
Newswanger says. “I just dug in.” His
main concern was ensuring that the
company provided top-notch service.
“My father always said: ‘Quality service speaks for itself,’” he says.
Today, Jay and Ken are content to
maintain the business at its current
size, relying on 10 coaches to service
its charters and retail and wholesale
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METRO MAGAZINE JANUARY 2006
myself,” Newswanger says. “You have
to stay hands-on in all aspects of
the company.”
The company’s greatest strengths,
Newswanger says, are its driver corps
and its equipment. The drivers are
compensated well enough that
turnover is not a problem.
Newswanger says he has been loyal
to MCI, which he says stood behind
him during his early struggles. He recently took delivery of one of MCI’s E
models that’s adorned by an eagle and
U.S. flag. “It’s the only one like it on
the East Coast,” he says.
One of the key challenges lately
has been rising fuel prices. To counter
the additional expense, Newswanger
instituted a 4% fuel surcharge, which
he says was accepted by nearly all of
promote the wide range of tour offerings. “We did over 250 retail tours last
year,” he says. “That’s a lot for a company our size.”
Most of his business, however,
comes from word of mouth, which is
enhanced by a billboard on company
property that is changed frequently
to reflect current tours. “Sometimes
we change it every day,” he says. “In
our area, it doesn’t take long for
something to sell out quickly because
of word of mouth.” R&J’s most popular destinations are New York City
and Washington, D.C., especially for
student groups.
In addition to its tour and charter
business, R&J also operates 53 school
buses to service two school districts
and a private school.
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Island tours in full bloom
POLYNESIAN ADVENTURE TOURS
Honolulu
I
n 1977, Polynesian Adventure
Tours (Polyad) got its start as an operator of van sightseeing tours in
Waikiki, relying on its driver narrators to keep the customers entertained
and satisfied. Since then, the company
has grown, with operations on Oahu,
Maui, Kauai and the Big Island, and the
fleet has been upgraded to motorcoaches
and minibuses, but the emphasis on
high-quality tour narration remains.
“Because we have our roots in sight-
drivers are Hawaii natives and are
used to navigating the congested
streets of Waikiki, as well as the winding mountain road up to the 10,000foot summit of Mount Haleakala on
the island of Maui.
Business has been strong for Polyad.
To keep up with the demand, the tour
and charter company is in the process
of expanding its fleet once again. Santiago says the company is moving toward standardization of its motor-
ships that ply Hawaiian waters yearround.
In November 2004, NCL acquired
Polyad. NCL’s cruise passengers are a
natural fit for Polyad’s full roster of
tour offerings, which on Oahu range
from a visit to Pearl Harbor to a deluxe
circle-the-island tour.
Polyad has maintenance facilities at
five terminals that provide preventive
and corrective services, with the exception of major overhauls.
At a Glance
Motorcoaches: 153
Fleet mix: Van Hool, MCI
Employees: 250
Service area: Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Hawaii
Drivers: 174
Year started: 1977
Services: charter, narrated sightseeing tours
Annual ridership: 360,000
Website: www.polyad.com
President: Jon Savitz
seeing tours, our drivers/guides set us
apart from the competition,” says Glenda Santiago, Polyad’s customer service
manager. “All of our tours require narration.”
Veteran drivers train new hires in how
to properly narrate a trip. “It’s a comprehensive program that is also supplemented by training from community colleges
and other professional resources,” Santiago says.
Safety is a key concern. A safety officer oversees the operator training in
this area. Santiago says most of the
Polynesian Adventure Tours got its start nearly 30 years
ago with sightseeing tours using vans. It now operates
more than 150 buses and has five maintenance facilities.
coaches and will add more Van Hool
coaches and ElDorado minibuses to
the line-up.
Early in 2005, Polyad entered into a
licensing agreement for all of Hawaii
with Gray Line that it hopes will increase its marketing reach.
“With Gray Line being a globally recognized brand, it’s a good move for us,”
Santiago says. The company is now cobranded Gray Line Hawaii.
Polyad has, for many years, enjoyed a
strong relationship with Norwegian
Cruise Lines (NCL), which has three
To stay on top of maintenance issues, the company recently broadened
its staffing structure to operate more efficiently.
One of the challenges that Polyad
faces in expanding its business is a tight
labor market. Santiago says the unemployment rate in Hawaii is down
around 2%, making it a challenge to
find new tour and charter drivers.
However, Polyad’s business mix,
business model and favorable benefits
package make the company attractive
to prospective employees.
JANUARY 2006 METRO MAGAZINE
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