mrmacey
07-07-2006, 05:49 AM
Limo to fulfill contractin friendly fashion
By CHARLES WINOKOOR Business Writer 07/07/2006
RAYNHAM - Michael Quish knows he's a little fish in a sea of limos.
But thanks to a deal he's signed with a "world-class cruise line," he can expand his company without stretching himself too thin - or sacrificing his local roots.
Quish, owner of MSM Exec Limousine at 407 Route 44, signed a contract in June with Odyssey Cruises of Boston to serve as its exclusive provider of limo service.
MSM Exec won't actually be doing much of the driving - unless a party originates from the Greater Taunton area - but will instead partner with limousine companies throughout the state.
The strategy, Quish said, is to farm out jobs to other qualified New England Livery Association members as a means of creating referrals for the company he and his wife operate out of their small, Route 44 office.
"There's no [monetary] profit," Quish said. "The value is using it as a reference."
It's not uncommon, he said, for limousine companies such as his to share work when a job is well outside its coverage area.
"There's no limo company in Massachusetts that can handle statewide work by itself," Quish said. "If they say they have hundreds of limos on hand in one place, they're lying."
Sharing jobs creates a friendlier, less adversarial relationship than one normally finds in many other types of businesses, he said.
"A lot of friendships are built on affiliates," Quish said. "We socialize and talk - it's like a union."
Quish said the contract with Odyssey Cruises is the biggest thing that's happened since he started his limo company three years ago.
"It's like saying you just landed a deal with General Dynamics as an exclusive provider," he said. "It's a great honor."
Abby Markowski, marketing manager for the Boston cruise line, said this is the first time the company has contracted exclusively with a limo company in the Boston area.
"We'd considered a similar idea," Markowski said. "It was a coincidence [when Mike proposed it] but a good one, because it was exactly what we were looking for. It was almost eerie."
In addition to its Boston Harbor cruise, Odyssey launches day and night luxury excursions from Chicago and Washington, D.C.
Quish, 46, started out in 2003 with a single stretch limo and now has a four-vehicle fleet. He said he is on call around the clock.
Sharing work, he said, will continue to be a key component for his company's growth.
"We've become a better company for giving work and getting work," he said. "Eventually it will make it possible for me to buy another car."
By CHARLES WINOKOOR Business Writer 07/07/2006
RAYNHAM - Michael Quish knows he's a little fish in a sea of limos.
But thanks to a deal he's signed with a "world-class cruise line," he can expand his company without stretching himself too thin - or sacrificing his local roots.
Quish, owner of MSM Exec Limousine at 407 Route 44, signed a contract in June with Odyssey Cruises of Boston to serve as its exclusive provider of limo service.
MSM Exec won't actually be doing much of the driving - unless a party originates from the Greater Taunton area - but will instead partner with limousine companies throughout the state.
The strategy, Quish said, is to farm out jobs to other qualified New England Livery Association members as a means of creating referrals for the company he and his wife operate out of their small, Route 44 office.
"There's no [monetary] profit," Quish said. "The value is using it as a reference."
It's not uncommon, he said, for limousine companies such as his to share work when a job is well outside its coverage area.
"There's no limo company in Massachusetts that can handle statewide work by itself," Quish said. "If they say they have hundreds of limos on hand in one place, they're lying."
Sharing jobs creates a friendlier, less adversarial relationship than one normally finds in many other types of businesses, he said.
"A lot of friendships are built on affiliates," Quish said. "We socialize and talk - it's like a union."
Quish said the contract with Odyssey Cruises is the biggest thing that's happened since he started his limo company three years ago.
"It's like saying you just landed a deal with General Dynamics as an exclusive provider," he said. "It's a great honor."
Abby Markowski, marketing manager for the Boston cruise line, said this is the first time the company has contracted exclusively with a limo company in the Boston area.
"We'd considered a similar idea," Markowski said. "It was a coincidence [when Mike proposed it] but a good one, because it was exactly what we were looking for. It was almost eerie."
In addition to its Boston Harbor cruise, Odyssey launches day and night luxury excursions from Chicago and Washington, D.C.
Quish, 46, started out in 2003 with a single stretch limo and now has a four-vehicle fleet. He said he is on call around the clock.
Sharing work, he said, will continue to be a key component for his company's growth.
"We've become a better company for giving work and getting work," he said. "Eventually it will make it possible for me to buy another car."