“20 Group” Enables Operators to Collaborate On Challenges

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Some of the chauffeured transportation industry’s leading operators have formed a mutual consulting and idea laboratory called the Chauffeured Success Group, a “20 Group” type of organization. The operator/owners advise each other on overcoming obstacles, improving finances and budgeting, and launching new initiatives.

The 20 Group concept has seen several incarnations since the concept originated in 1947, said Steve Qua, the group’s chairman and owner of Company Car and Limousine of Cleveland, Ohio. Qua said his late grandfather, a Cleveland auto dealer, formed the original group of 20 peer auto dealers to advise each other on business improvement.

The modern-day version of the “Limousine 20 Group” started in 1996. It previously has been moderated by Charles Tenney of Tenney & Associates, and Tom Mazza, the chauffeur/operator-guru of the limousine and chauffeured transportation industry. Most recently, the “20 Group” hired XSCEND, a Kansas City-based performance exchange facilitator owned by Nichols Campbell Morrow. The group leader and advisor is Dennis Hunter, a former consultant with Ernst & Young now with XSCEND. Qua was elected chairman of the latest version of the group which reformed in June.

A key feature of the group is a program for members to submit their complete financial data through a web portal. The reports are quickly available via online download, and spiral bound hard copies are mailed to each company. All financial information is examined including income statement items, balance sheet data, cash flow analysis, and vehicle revenue benchmarking.

“XSCEND feels that their role is to create a financial model that is the perfect limousine company, and then have us all achieve it through peer pressure,” Qua said.

Although the Chauffeured Success Group is a “20 Group,” its membership now has 10 members and is capped at 17. It meets three times per year for two-day conferences.

In addition to Qua, the members are: Diane Forgy, owner of Overland Limousine of Kansas City; Stephen Story, president of Carey VIP, Richmond, Va.; Gene Cookenboo, owner of Presidential Limousine of Denver; Bob Beutel, president of All Star VIP of Detroit, Michael Lindsey, owner of Lindsey Limousine of Hartford, Conn.; Stuart Rothstein, owner of Smart Cars of Chicago; Craig McCutcheon, president of Toronto-based Rosedale Livery Ltd.; Robert Alexander, president of RMA Worldwide of Washington, D.C.; and Rob Hansen, owner of Bayview Limousine of Seattle.

“These groups become very close. We each have a vested interest in the success of all the others,” Qua said.

Any company interested in participating may contact Dennis Hunter with Xscend/NCM at (913) 383-8979 x201 or Steve Qua at (216) 861-7433 x223.

Source: LCT Magazine