Business of the Week: Leros Point to Point, Hawthorne
When John Nyikos established his limousine company in Thornwood 30 years ago, business was handled with two-way radios and handwritten confirmation orders.
Today, his sons Jeff and Chris have taken Leros Point to Point into the 21st century as they oversee an expanding ground transportation company now headquartered in Hawthorne that serves the needs of corporate customers and others throughout the tri-state area.
Chief Operating Officer Jeff Nyikos said the growth of technology and the speed with which communication occurs have been a huge boon to the company as it continues to create partnerships with other transportation businesses in more than 550 cities worldwide.
Arrangements with the partner companies are made beforehand. When Leros’ clients step off a plane elsewhere in the United States or abroad, there is a driver waiting to pick up the client and bring him or her to their destination.
Over the years, the Nyikos family has also created a number of satellite companies in Westchester, including ASAP Messenger, Inc., a small package delivery system serving the New York metropolitan area; 769 Taxi & Limousine, located at the Pleasantville train station; and Greeley Limousine & Taxi Service, serving Chappaqua.
Managing a fleet of over 200 vehicles that include Lincoln Towncars, SUVs, vans and minibuses, Leros is equipped to handle a variety of client needs. That includes providing limousines for myriad Fortune 500 executives, many of whom fly frequently on business to domestic or international destinations and require reliable service to the airport.
In addition to providing safe transportation service to area executives and VIPs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Leros also provides invaluable service to families in the Westchester area, shuttling their children to local private schools, chauffeuring couples on a night out, and providing weekend transport for groups attending weddings and other social functions and celebrations.
With offices in Connecticut, Manhattan and New Jersey, Nyikos said Leros is equipped to handle client requests as far north as Hartford and as far south as Princeton.
New technology is driving the growth of Leros Point to Point, which currently has the 12th-largest fleet among ground transportation companies in the U.S.
Now the firm is about to launch a mobile app that will give customers the opportunity to book and change their reservations. It will also store payment information and recall users’ previous reservations, particularly useful for corporate customers submitting travel and expense claims.
“This is how the ground transportation business is being booked now,” said Nyikos, who got his start in the livery industry as a high school student making reservations and dispatching job orders. “Just like a lot of other businesses, everything is being done on a mobile device these days.”
Reliability, safety and outstanding customer service are crucial for Nyikos and his brother Chris, who serves as the company’s chief financial officer. Every driver participates in an extensive two-week chauffeur training program, which includes driver safety, driving etiquette, confidentiality, ethics and more.
Even with 20 years in the business, Nyikos said every day is different, with new hurdles to overcome.
“There are always new challenges because the industry is constantly changing,” he said. “Like any second-generation business, we are trying to take our company to the next level by embracing technology, always investing in our people and taking on new opportunities.”
To learn more about Leros Point to Point, visit the company’s website at www.leroslimo.com. For reservations, call 1-800-825-3767.
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