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June 2007 | Newswire
Mapp Transportation navigates luxury transportation business
by Blane Bachelor
Unparalleled personal service driving young company's growth
For more than 11 years during the commute from his home in
Snellville to his job at Ford Motor Company's now-closed plant
in Hapeville, Jim Mapp took note of the traffic - specifically,
the number of sleek black cars on the highway.
"I would always think, 'That guy is driving a nice car, wearing
a nice suit, and that looks like a nice job,'" Mapp recalls.
"Then, over the years, I noticed that the cars were looking not
so nice, and I would think, 'That industry looks like it's going
down.' And that's what's happened - the demand for the business
has gone up so high that the quality has suffered."
Mapp sensed an opportunity in that decline, and when he was laid
off by Ford, he decided to make a move. With a severance
package, he and his wife, Brandy, founded Mapp Transportation,
serving customers within a 75-mile radius from
Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport with luxury
transportation services.
When the GBJ went to press, the company was one of only three in
Gwinnett County to obtain proper licensing under a new ordinance
governing vehicles for hire. According to county records, more
than 400 illegal taxicabs, also known as "gypsy cabs," are
operating in Gwinnett County, leading to stricter regulations
for transportation companies such as Mapp Transportation.
But, from the moment a customer makes a call to the 24-hour
reservation line, it's obvious the company holds itself to its
own high standards of quality. If it's an airport pickup,
customers can choose to be personally greeted by Mr. or Mrs.
Mapp, or another Mapp employee, always dressed in a sharp black
suit and holding a professional-looking sign bearing the
customer's name. From there, it's a smooth ride in one of two
vehicles: a brand-new sleek black Lincoln Town Car Signature L
model - which, according to well-known automotive reviewer
Edmunds.com, is about as "close to a limousine as car can get" -
or a Lincoln Navigator.
Each vehicle is equipped with a newspaper, water and soda, and a
top-of-the-line GPS system that quietly directs turns and
monitors traffic. In addition, there's what the Mapps call their
"bag of tricks," stocked with aspirin and toiletries -
"everything we could think of that a passenger would need," Mrs.
Mapp says. A one-way trip to the airport averages around $70,
and discounts are offered for round trips and corporate clients.
Mrs. Mapp says one of the company's competitive advantages is
the extent of its communication, from the cell phones each
employee carries to industry-specific software to the GPS
systems in each of its vehicles. For every trip, customers' cell
phone numbers are taken to ensure a point of contact.
"That's especially important at a busy airport like Atlanta,
where you have clumps of people coming up the elevator and it's
easy to miss somebody," Mrs. Mapp says. "Anybody can go in there
and hold up a sign and hope that the customer sees their name."
Midway through its first year, Mapp Transportation is balancing
the typical bumps in the road for a young company - most
importantly, achieving profitability - with a marked
determination to become a recognized name in Gwinnett County's
growing business community. In April, it nearly doubled its
number of trips from the previous month, from 53 to 97.
"We get excited about every single customer," Jim Mapp says. "We
know we have a lot of competitors - GCL [Greene Classic
Limousines], Carey limousines, and other reputable companies in
the Atlanta area that do a good job. But we're doing the best we
can to do better." |
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