20 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • JANUARY 2020
CORNER OFFICE
ALL STAR LIMO PRESIDENT AND CEO JIM POWERS GOING THE DISTANCE BY JAMES BERNSTEIN
Thirty-five years ago, Jim Powers
was studying and working his way
through college, not entirely sure
what he wanted to do. Life decided for
him. The limo company he worked
for part time closed, and he decided to
lease a limo and become his own boss.
College took a back seat for a time, although
he eventually graduated from
Nassau Community College. Powers
was born in the Bronx and moved as a
child with his family to Lindenhurst.
He now lives with his wife and three
children in East Islip.
How did your business get started?
In 1984 I was working part time for
a limousine company and putting
myself through college. It was the
perfect job because while waiting
for my clients, I could study. Like any
business, you only reap the awards
for the time and effort you put into
it. After a year, the company I worked
for decided to close. So I decided to go
on my own and lease a limousine. I
contacted all the people I serviced to
let them know I was still available to
chauffeur them. Not only did I drive,
but I answered phones, took reservations,
cleaned and maintained the
vehicle. Within six months I had so
many bookings I had to buy another
vehicle. I was on my way. College was
put on hold.
What’s the size of your company
today? I own over 106 different types
of vehicles, from sedans, SUVs, limousines,
sprinters, buses, and vintage
cars. We now have over 135 employees
both full and part time. Our
facility is 40,000 square feet, with a
commercial car wash, detail station
with sanitizers, a full-time mechanic,
and around-the-clock reservation
and dispatch departments.
What are some of the biggest
challenges you face? The biggest
challenge in this business is road
construction and traffic, especially
in Manhattan and the ongoing craziness
at LaGuardia Airport. On any
given day it can take you over an
hour to connect with your client at
LaGuardia due to the expansion and
construction at that airport.
High-school kids use limos often at
prom time. Do you consider it your
responsibility to see that the kids
don’t drink or use drugs? It
is 100 percent the transportation
company’s
responsibi lity.
We ensure the
parents that their
children will return
back home in
the same condition
they started out. In
our buses we always
provide a host or hostess
that will provide soft
drinks and make sure
there are no adult beverages
or smoking on the bus.
Also, the parent enters into a
contract stating the rules
and regulations and
each promgoer
signs a pledge stating they understand
that there is zero tolerance for
any alcohol or drug use. If there is
any drug or alcohol involved at any
time, we call the parents and ask
them to pick them up immediately.
Do you feel your industry is too
heavily regulated? There are some
app-based companies that aren’t
regulated so without the rules and
regulations it’s like legal hitchhiking.
I’m all for regulations as long as
it’s an even playing field. When you
contract through All Star Limousine
every chauffeur is background
checked both criminally and through
the DMV. We also have every employee
randomly drug tested.
Has the competition
become more stiff
over the years?
The competition
has always been
fierce in this
bus ine s s ,
and I have
seen many
compet itors
come
and go but
then there’s a new company always
popping up. We turn over our vehicles
every 36 months, so they always
have new vehicles and a friendly and
competent staff.
How do you keep fuel and other
costs down? Insurance is one of
the largest costs we have. We put
all our drivers through rigorous
safety programs and instill safety
into our drivers. Also, each vehicle
has a DriveCam camera, so there is
no question at all whose fault an accident
is. So many times, that camera
was a godsend when the driver of the
other car was at fault but said it was
ours. Because we use so much fuel,
we shopped around the different
stations in our area and we get a
discounted rate because of volume.
What keeps you up at night? All
Star Limousine runs a truly 24-hour
business. So, everything we have in
the day from the dispatchers, management,
car detailers, etc. mirrors
itself in the night. I am so confident
with my team that I never have to
worry. It’s the people that you surround
yourself with that make it all
possible.
“It’s the people that you surround yourself with
that make it all possible.”
Jim Powers, President and CEO
of All Star Limo, started his
company 35 years
ago.
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