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Richmond, Va. operator Randy Allen is expanding his service to central Virginia in a state market that is becoming more competitive.

RICHMOND, Va. — The Virginia state slogan has long been Virginia Is For Lovers, but given recent transportation industry expansions, it might as well be Virginia Is For Limos.

The latest growth comes from Richmond, Va.-based James Limousine, which at 23 vehicles has the largest luxury transportation fleet based in the state capital. Owner Randy Allen plans to start local service Sept. 1 in the Charlottesville/Albemarle County region about 55 miles up Interstate 64.

Allen will base one Lincoln Town Car sedan in the city for starters, and run other fleet vehicles and support functions out of his headquarters on the west side of Richmond. He eventually plans to base more vehicles out of Charlottesville, home to the University of Virginia, as business grows.

“This is an excellent market with a lot of potential,” Allen told LCT. “It has a 14% growth rate in population over the last 10 years and is ranked as one of best cities to live in. The average household income is very good.”

Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, is a main attraction in Charlottesville, Va.

Indeed, Charlottesville historically is synonymous with the land of Declaration of Independence author and third President Thomas Jefferson. In addition to the Jefferson-designed UVa, Albemarle County also is home to the Jefferson estate of Monticello, his boyhood home of Shadwell, and the historic Michie Tavern. Along with such world-renowned and prestigious historical sites, Allen also wants to tap into the region’s growing winery market spread among the bucolic foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

James Limousine is set to get national exposure when the company is mentioned in the October issue of Southern Living magazine as a regional wine tour provider in an article about the Monticello wine trail and its growing appeal to tourists nationwide. The region also is known for its prime horse-breeding farms and racing tracks.   

“Charlottesville has always been a market that held my interest since we bought the company in Richmond,” said Allen, also the newly elected president of the Virginia Limousine Association. “I attended UVa and lived in Charlottesville for one year so I can appreciate the potential for that area. That market will now receive the quality of service we’ve been providing in Richmond for many years.”