Bill Dunne never thought when he went into the limousine business, he'd have to be a driver and a seamstress.
But there he was sewing away in the back of a white stretch limo. He was aiding a clumsy bride who had torn the train on her wedding gown.
Dunne says that to survive successfully in the hotly competitive limousine rental business in Harford, you've got to be prepared.
"All my limousines carry a little kit with just about anything a brideor someone might need. I've got tape, scissors, needle and thread, spot remover, various shades of lipstick, breath mints, hair spray, bobby pins, just anything you can think of," he said.
Dunne, vice president of Steppin Out Limousine based in Kingsville, says that in the limousine business, you do a lot more than chauffeur.
The next two months will be busy for Dunne and the other Harford-based limousine rental companies.
With prom season arriving next month, limo companies are trying to beat each other to the business. The competitionis fierce, and just about every company makes a pitch to the prom crowd with slick offers such as "elegant and personalized service," "friendly drivers" or "a trip into luxury."
Top-of-the-line limousines offer luxuries like moon roofs, televisions (though most customers rarely watch it), videocassette recorders, telephones, stocked bars, music and the ever popular "mood lighting."
Among the Harford companies, the price for limo luxury generally runs between $40 to $70 hourly, depending on the number of passengers and the distance traveled.
Staying in business is tough, say longtime operators. Many companies fail in two to three years, they say.
First there's the high cost of insurance to worry about -- an average of $4,000 a year to insure just one limousine. Also, it's expensive to maintain the vehicles. Limousines are custom-made cars that can't survive on an occasional oil change and lube.
And if you think your car gets dirty, try cleaning up a limousine after six prom-giddy teens have rented it.
Konrad Steck, owner of Augusta Limousines in Joppa, has been in the limousine business for nine years. "People come into the business withhigh hopes," he said. "They think they can just get a limousine and start making money. It just doesn't happen that way. The business is very competitive."
For some companies, getting business can take alittle creativity.
