Mattix on Matters
Featured in the Cecil Whig, Monday, September 14th, 2009

I talked with Carol Gerhart last week about a recent addition to her fleet of limos at About Town Limousine. She said the white, 30-foot-long “party bus,” as she called it, is perfect for wedding parties and other social get-togethers.

The new acquisition is built on a 2008 Ford chassis, includes a stereo, a television, lights and a dance pole.

“It even has pull-down shades for night privacy,” said Gerhart, who has owned and operated the North East-area limousine service for the past 20 years.

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About Town Limousine Service Celebrates 20th Anniversary
By Stephanie Lipcius Palko
Featured in the Cecil Whig, Wednesday, February 25th, 2009

About Town Limousine Service had an unusual start.

"We bought the first limo as a lark," said Carol A. Gerhart, president of the company.

Her husband, Marty, and a friend stopped by a vehicle dealership and spotted a gently used limousine. It was a six passenger, dark blue Lincoln limo.

"We liked to go out with friends," Gerhart said. "We thought it would be fun. We could hire a driver and go out."

Instead, they formed a corporation, purchased the necessary insurance, and took the steps to get their license for hire from the Public Service Commission.

With the added expenses, they decided to take out some advertising and launch a limousine business to recuperate some of their costs.

Twenty years later, the busines has grown and prospered.

Daughter Kristen Kammerer helped nurture the business in the early years, but bowed out as her own young family grew, Gerhart said.

At one point, About Town had 11 vehicles. Today, they have six, and Gerhart said it is a nice, manageable size.

There are eight part-time chauffeurs at About Town Limousine, including Carol and Marty.

Job satisfaction is the reason the Gerharts enjoy the limousine service so much.

"The people are wonderful, " Carol said. "We meet the nicest people and we are part of the neatest events. People often use a limo as a surprise - to make a special event more special."

Weddings, proms, funerals, special dates, birthday parties, and trips to airports, cruise ports and train stations are the primary calls for service in the limousine business, she said. They often bring babies home from the hospital. About Town also offers Christmas light tours that take families to special displays between Cecil County and Baltimore. There are also trips to medical procedures or to visit a specialist in a city. They have even transported people whose cars were damaged in local accidents and driven people to Shock Trauma in the middle of the night to be with injured loved ones.

The spring is a very busy time for limousine services.

"During prom season, I could probably have 20 limousines," she said, lamenting tha some local highschools schedule their proms on the same night.

While vehicles have to be shiny and clean for each event, it is the drivers who set the tone for customer service.

"The chauffers always try to make everyone feel special," Carol said.

"The chauffers' responsibilites, if you are doing it right, go beyond driving," Marty said. "For a short time, you are a part of other people's lives."

But the Gerharts noted there is a fine line between adding to the festivities of the party and becoming too intrusive. The chauffeur is in a support capacity, adding to the conversation, assisting the customer and offering advice when those services are requested.

For instance, brides are sometimes at a loss to control the volume of fabric in their wedding gown. After driving dozens of brides to their special event, Marty knows all about their problem.

"I know all there is around wedding gowns," he said.

As the bride struggles with the train, Marty will tell her about the hoop sewn into the gown to help them hold onto the train, saying the brides are surprised and thankful for the information.

Sometimes people are nervous about a trip and just want to talk.

"The closer you get to the airport, the more people talk and the faster they talk," Marty observed.

They enjoy the thrill young people have as they get picked up at their front door to attend a birthday party or prom. Marty Gerhart recently took pictures of a young man and the limousines. Visiting from Europe, the youngster said they do not have vehicles that large and he could not wait to get home and show the photos to his friends.

About Town Limousine drivers respect the privacy of their clients.

"What goes on in the limo stays in the limo," Marty said.

"We don't tell," Carol added.

On a serious note, the chauffeurs are well aware of the trust placed upon their skills.

"It's a tremendous responsibility to drive people," Carol said. "You have their lives in your hands and all my chauffeurs take it very seriously."

The business has put them in touch with a few famous people. Countr singer Trace Adkins was in an About Town limo. The company also drove K.C. and the Sunshine Band around after they played at the Big Kahuna in Wilmington. Even local celebrity Sally Starr, who hosted a children's show in Philadelphia years ago, received a ride in an About Town limo.

Carol Gerhart said the business keeps her from being too involved in local organizations, but she donates limousine services for a number of fundraising efforts in the community. Her company also works with Hospice and took one local person on their dream trip to Niagara Falls a few years ago.

"I answer the phone 24 hours a day," she said. "I think customer service has made us successful."