About LCT's The Great Limo Race

LCT will be comparing how five operators with less than two years in the industry build their success, including the challenges, failures, and achievements. Read more

Players

Deborah Talbott

Debbie is a former purchasing director who after 20 years found herself unemployed in a recession. She immediately launched her new business from home starting with a single 120-inch stretch limousine and has since added a Lincoln Town Car Executive L to the fleet. Read more

Ricardo Garza

Ric, as he is known to friends, is 45 years old, married, and a proud parent of two boys and one girl. He holds a bachelor's degree in political science and spent many years working in the Houston Mayor’s Office as a certified conflict mediator and business developer. Read more

Becky Laramee

Along with her brother, John, Becky bought All Points Limousine in 2008. Their mother had spent time in the motorcoach and travel industry and had retired, but wasn’t quite ready for retirement. Needless to say, mother Bonnie is the office manager. Read more

Brad Gregory

Brad bought a 25-year-old limousine service in 2009 from a retiring owner. The company is located between Nashville, Tenn. and Bowling Green, Ky. He had no previous experience in the industry, working for the past decade for an automotive company. Read more

Georgia Berg

In July 2007, at the age of 44, Georgia became a long-distance business partner with her longtime Australian friend, Peter Smith. They met by chance while vacationing in Hawaii in 1993. During a 2003 visit to the U.S., Smith saw a Ford Excursion limousine and vowed to bring the first one to Australia. Read more

Race Referee

Jim Luff

LCT Contributing Editor Jim Luff is an operator from Bakersfield, Calif. After working as a chauffeur in the early 1990s, he joined The Limousine Scene in 1993 as general manager and later became a partner in the business. Read more

DEBBIE Update 5: Summer Snafus & A Busy Fall

Economy seems to rebound as more families venture back out.
 
I returned last month from an amazing week in California and what a much needed break it was. Our summer was fantastically busy however; we experienced some of the mechanical stuff we all go through at least once or twice in our business. Sitting in front of a church in 101-degree weather caused our alternators to overheat and shut down!
 
Within 15 minutes, the stretch stopped running and out came the bride and groom. It was one of those life's most embarrassing moments! We are fortunate enough to work closely with a local funeral home, and they loaned us their stretch limousine at the last minute. However, you can't help but wonder what you could do to prevent this sort of thing.
 
I am sad to see summer coming to an end, as we are blessed with a full schedule every month with weddings and family nights out to the ball games. It seems the economy is somewhat rebounding and families are venturing back out for nights out together or dates.
 
Our September and October also were busy with ongoing weddings, and since the holidays tend to slow down for us, we'll begin offering Christmas packages for those who want to spend the day shopping or for a night out at the theater.
 
Our military runs have increased during the last two months and that brings a good sign to us that our soldiers are coming home.
 
I hope you are all having a great start of the fall season and stay busy! Be Blessed!
 
— Deborah A. Talbott, AMERICAN ELEGANCE LIMOUSINE, New London, Ohio
Print | posted on Friday, October 29, 2010 10:53 AM
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