Getting There In Style

With an extensive fleet of vehicles, South San Franciscans are bound to see Nationwide limousines all over the city. The company stocks everything from look-a-like cable cars to stretch Hummers and classic cars. On most days, owner Sam Lavasani can be found on South Canal Street in the offices of Nationwide Limousine Service looking after his well-organized business and talking to customers. As part of a series profiling local business owners, I sat down with Lavasani and asked him about his experiences owning a limousine service.

Name: Sam Lavasani

Age: 46

Business: A Nationwide Limousine Service

Address: 311 S. Canal St.

Number of employees: 30

Services: Full service ground transportation throughout the Bay Area and beyond.

How long have you been in business in South San Francisco?

We've been in South San Francisco since 1995, and before that we operated out of Burlingame from 1988 until 1995.

How did you get into the limousine business?

When I came to the United States in 1986, I told myself that whatever business I got into I would work hard at it and make it as far as I could. This is the business I was able to get into so that's why I started this limousine service of my own.

Tell us about your favorite vehicle in your fleet.

I like the classic cars. We have a 1947 Plymouth, a 1958 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud, and a 1948 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith. The Silver Wraith is neat because it's a limo built in 1948 and has modern technology like cruise control, adjustable arm wrests and four break systems. It shows an amazing attention to detail for its time.

Is your family involved in the business?

My cousin works here and my two sisters used to work here sometimes, but now they've moved on to other jobs.

How has business changed in this economy?

It has declined of course, but in this day and age a bigger change comes from technology. Business has gone from the Yellow Pages to websites and from phone calls to e-mails. So, as a business, we have made changes to accommodate the new technological preferences of our customers.

What is the business climate like in South San Francisco?

There are always issues with small businesses, but I think businesses that have problems usually are doing something wrong within their companies. If you play your cards right you can make it happen.

How do you see the business 10 years from now?

I hope that I don't have to put as much time into it, being here and doing things hands on. I would like to be here less so I can pursue our networking business more.