Chicago Operation Buys Many Buses, MKT Limos

Windy City chartered 20 vehicles for a Nike/White House event hosted by Michelle Obama and Michael Jordan in February.

Windy City chartered 20 vehicles for a Nike/White House event hosted by Michelle Obama and Michael Jordan in February.

CHICAGO — Windy City Limousine, based in Chicago, recently purchased four motorcoaches, four MKT limousines and 14 minibuses, bringing its fleet count to about 180 vehicles. Windy City purchased the first two motorcoaches in November 2012 and took delivery of the last two this month, CEO George Jacobs told LCT.

Jacobs said the purchases are justified by the high demand for these vehicles, with minibuses being requested daily and limousines every weekend. “We run out of limousines every single weekend and sometimes during the week,” Jacobs said. “I’ll need a stretch SUV pretty soon, too.”Windy City invested about $3.3 million in these vehicles. The motorcoaches were built by MCI; the minibuses were built by Glaval Bus and Turtle Top; and the Lincoln MKT stretch limousines were built by Royale Limousine Manufacturers.

The stretch limousines are in demand from the retail sector, which has picked up as people who have special events and parties to attend understand the dangers of drinking and driving. The minibuses and motorcoaches are getting business from corporate and high-profile groups, such as the government. In the last year alone, Windy City Limousine has done five events with the U.S. Secret Service.

The most recent event was in February, when Windy City chartered 20 vehicles for Nike and the White House, hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama and Michael Jordan.

Windy City also has added Lincoln MKT Town Cars, Lincoln MKS sedans, and Cadillac XTS sedans to its fleet in the last year.

“We’re trying everything so we can be flexible for our customers’ needs, whether it’s our big customers or our big affiliates,” Jacobs said.

Windy City Limousine also received “Best Transportation Company in Illinois” honors from Illinois Meetings and Events Magazine this year, making it the fifth year in a row Windy City has received this award. The elite Chicago limo service also received Inc. Magazine’s Hire Power award, which, according to Inc.’s website, salutes “job creators who are restoring lives and rebuilding the economy by putting Americans back to work.”

Jacobs said credit for Windy City’s recent successes go to the company’s staff, from partner Sal Milazzo and the original five members of the executive committee down to the new hires who have only be with the company for a month.

— Michael Campos, LCT associate editor