With executives being ridiculed for traveling in luxury and tight purses all around, livery companies that ply I-95, the Hutch and the Merritt are feeling the strain of the times.
“We”™re trying to do something,” said Lana Khan, owner of Lana Limousine in White Plains. “The economy has been very noticeable it”™s been affecting us a great deal.”
Khan said her corporate accounts and consulting groups have all but dried up, noting Merryl Lynch as a once-reliable client. She also said that the amount of transport that is crossing the border into Fairfield has reduced.
“Business meetings have died, but those who are going to the city need to get there and they need to be composed; they can just take the train,” said Kahn.
Lana”™s has begun to offer specials for its corporate clients, currently running a ”˜March madness special,”™ cutting 40 percent from fares.
“February was a terrible month; it was the worst for us so far,” said Kahn. “Hopefully it”™ll get better.”
Ben Enaye, owner of Post Road Limousine in Fairfield said he clearly sees the affects of economy through his business of late.“People just aren”™t traveling plain and simple,” said Enaye. “The weaker limo companies will be pushed out and in my experience when they leave they don”™t return. That will allow for the stronger businesses to recover but the major problem with the economy is that a lot of people are out of work and money is not being spent.
Enaye said that he hasn”™t yet had to resort to offering business specials, but is open to those kinds of practices if need be.
“This emphasis on small business, and all or most limousine companies are small businesses, is important,” said Enaye. “The incentive has to be there to enable us to employ people and conduct and acquire the marketing. But it all boils down to jobs. People have to be coming or going somewhere. Business can”™t be done without jobs.”
Charles Wisniewski, president and CEO of Teddy”™s Transportation System Inc. in Norwalk, said this is a good time for limousine companies to be growing relationships.
“We”™re in the business of taking people to and from, year in and year out,” said Wisniewski.
Wisniewski said the company has had a platinum reward miles program for its frequent customers, which has been in place for 20 years and has been a dealmaker when long-time customers have begun to look down the chain.
“There are so many limo companies that are run out of the house that don”™t have the room to consolidate in this kind of economy,” said Wisniewski. “No one”™s really taking a car to work they”™re taking it to the airport and they”™re taking it more because they”™re working harder for the sales.”
Wisniewski said their executive clientele may not be calling a car for a daily trip to the office but are taking more trips to reinforce relationships with their clients. He said that is what Teddy”™s is doing in the down economy, building relationships.
Wisniewski said that Fairfield County”™s business-to-business fares have been affected in Stamford and Greenwich where the hobbled financial industry has sent some limo services, some whose business was 60 to 70 percent reliant on the industry, to their demise.
“Teddy”™s has avoided being affected by the difficulties in the banking industry just because we”™re more toward the center of Fairfield County,” said Wisniewski. “We are hearing some scary stories from friends in the limo businesses in Greenwich and Stamford, though.”
William Shapiro, owner of Purity Limousine in Fairfield, said his business which specializes in workman”™s compensation drives to and from hospitals, has grown in the last few years and hasn”™t been touched by the economy.
“The service need is there,” said Shapiro. “We”™ve very busy, business has gone up five times in the last two to three years.”
Shapiro said people out on workman”™s compensation are more aware of the services available through their health care providers and are taking advantage of the rides.
“Business, travel and entertainment are the top three spends at most businesses for a reason,” said Wisniewski. “It”™s what gets business moving and keeps it moving. The people who live and work around here are the movers and shakers of industry and they need to get out and get their business to work.”
Wisniewski said a recent move targeting federal Troubled Asset Relief Program beneficiaries to restrict travel (led by Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry) will be extremely detrimental to businesses across the board.
“The travel industry is looking for help from their general public to get the ear of Sen. Kerry,” said Wisniewski. “Business travel is the lifeblood of industry.”
