Family Business Awards: Knight's Limousine

FOCUS: FAMILY BUSINESS AWARDS

Knight's Airport Limousine, Shrewsbury: Rolling and growing through 3 decades

BY TARYN PLUMB
SPECIAL TO THE WORCESTER BUSINESS JOURNAL

With more than a half-dozen brothers, uncles, nephews and moms working together regularly, Knight's Airport Limousine Service is most definitely a family business. But the Shrewsbury-based company, which has numerous longtime employees, likes to consider the entire business itself one big family.

"From the drivers, to our office personnel, to our dispatchers, we treat people well, we try to do the best we can for them, and they've done that for us in return," general manager Tom Hogan said. "Our commitment has been shown to them, and their commitment to us."

Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, Knight's started out in Grafton with just three vehicles – and not even enough drivers to staff them.

Three decades later, the family-run company employs more than 135 full- and part-time workers, is equipped with 60-plus vehicles, and does an average of 200 trips a day. With a fleet of town cars, passenger vans and minibuses, it makes trips all over New England, and has added private services.

It started when Tom and his brother, Mike were employed by a similar company, and decided to strike out on their own. Their father, Gene, was instrumental in the company's inception.

"He helped us get the financing, logistics, got us up and running, played referee," said Hogan. "Our father wanted to set up his boys in business."

Along with Tom and Mike, who serves as president, the company employs three generations: their mother, Carole, is a part-time receptionist; uncle Neal is a dispatcher; and their two sons and nephew are drivers, dispatchers and general maintenance/cleaning personnel.

From the get-go, the company stressed family. The business is named for Tom and Mike's mother's maiden name. "We were thinking of a name that was easy to remember, and that also had a family tie," Carole said.

Other honoree "family" members include sales manager Denise Kapulka, who has been with the company for more than 20 years, and office manager Mark Ford, who's been involved since almost the beginning.

"Mark has been a friend of the boys since childhood," Carole said. "(He) is a big part of our team."

Ultimately – and not surprisingly – the company's success, Hogan said, comes down to the service: Getting people where they need to go.

Lynne Haglund, corporate events planner for the rapidly growing Westborough-headquartered electronic health records company eClinicalWorks, has been a loyal customer for 10 years – and she can't say enough good things about them.

"They're on time, reasonable, reliable, honest," she said. "They're very nice people, very professional. … They're the first company I think of. It's just a nice company to work with."

Hogan added: "We have the best drivers out there. The hiring, training and re-training of the drivers (are) a huge part of the organization."

They essentially serve as ambassadors, he said, so the way they look and perform represents the company. "They're the first point of contact with our customers, usually the only point of contact with our customers," said Hogan.

Real-time communication

Aiding them in that respect, all vehicles were recently upgraded with tablets, so all drivers can have "up-to-date, real-time information" about changes to pickups or flights.

A dedication to the greater good is also a conduit to prosperity. After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Knight's donated vehicles and drivers to transport doctors, nurses and other medical professionals to New York City; after the Haiti earthquake, they helped get medical workers to airports; they have also donated vehicles to the Active Heroes Carry the Fallen event, which raises awareness of veteran suicide, and Grafton's Memorial Day parade. In addition, Knight's belongs to numerous local chambers of commerce, and family members have participated in various cancer walks.

"Just to be a part of the community, that we have the ability to give something back," said Hogan. "We're very proud to be able to do that."

Knight's gives back in other ways, as well. The company recently converted about 15 of its vehicles to run on propane. The vehicles are fueled by an on-site, 18,000-gallon propane fueling station. And the service itself – transporting multiple people at once – is, in and of itself, eco-friendly.

"Vans take up to three additional vehicles off the road, which leaves a smaller carbon footprint," said Hogan.

As far as keeping the family business running smoothly, division of duties is key. Mike and Tom have separate offices; Tom handles drivers, operations and day-to-day duties, while Mike is the vehicle guy – dealing with buying, selling, insurance, repairs and mechanics.

"To each have your own separate duties to perform each day so that you're not in each other's way – that can go a long way," Hogan said.

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