Gateway Limo acquires assets of Prospect Limo

As Gateway Limousine Inc. prepares to mark its 30th anniversary in May, the family-owned transportation service at 74 Mattatuck Heights Road in Waterbury has acquired the assets of a business in a neighboring town.

Mark DiChiara, Gateway’s founder and president, said his company has acquired the customer list of Prospect Limousine LLC, based at 50 Waterbury Road in Prospect. The deal officially closed on March 28. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

DiChiara said the acquisition did not include Prospect’s fleet of vehicles, and that Prospect’s staff has been offered the opportunity to apply for jobs with Gateway. He said two drivers have applied and “are going through the vetting process,” and that a third driver is expected to apply. He added that Roger Hamelin, Prospect’s owner, president and CEO, also has joined Gateway’s staff.

All of Gateway’s drivers undergo an FBI background check, state Department of Transportation physical, and a thorough screening process, DiChiara said.

Gateway has contacted all of Prospect’s customers, either by email or U.S. mail, and will honor existing reservations. “If all of Prospect’s customers switch to us, it would represent about 10 percent growth for us,” DiChiara said.

The company has taken over Prospect’s website, which now brings customers to the Gateway site at gatewaylimos.com, where they find a message informing them of the acquisition by Gateway.

The acquisition comes as Gateway prepares to celebrate three decades in business. DiChiara founded the company in his parents’ basement in Waterbury in May 1989, with his mother Mary answering calls and taking reservations and his father Carmen pitching in as a driver. Today, Gateway has 25 vehicles in service, including sedans, vans, limousines, SUVs and buses. It also has an office staff of seven and employs 20 full-time and 18 part-time drivers.

Gateway provides a variety of services, including transportation to airports in Southern New England and New York, as well as for proms, weddings, birthdays, anniversaries and other special occasions. It also offers transportation for brewery and winery tours along the state’s Winery and Beer trails.

Gateway’s bigger limousines, including a state-of-the-art Mercedes Benz Sprinter Limo Bus that seats 14, can serve larger groups for business excursions or trips to the state’s casinos. The company recently upgraded two of its limousine buses and purchased two new ones.

“We have grown tremendously since we opened our doors in 1989, and we feel that our growth is no accident,” DiChiara said. “It is simply the result of our growing list of satisfied customers.”

Gateway will host a ribbon-cutting event to mark the anniversary on Wednesday, May 15, at 11:30 a.m. at its Mattatuck Heights Road Facility. Local and state elected officials have been invited and customers and the public are welcome. Refreshments will be served.

Gateway also recently was honored by the Waterbury Regional Chamber for being a 30-year member. It also is a member of the Smaller Manufacturers Association of CT, Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce, and both the New England Livery Association and the National Limousine Association.

The company has been voted best in WeddingWire.com’s Couples’ Choice Awards for 11 consecutive years. Gateway also provides half-price services for Dream Come True of Western CT, which fulfills the dreams of seriously, chronically and terminally ill children. DiChiara said Gateway has provided transportation for a dozen such trips so far this year, including five in April.

DiChiara said his entire staff is focused on a common goal, “which is simply to provide our customers with the finest ground transportation available.”

For information or a quote, call Gateway Limousine at 203-753-5466 or visit gatewaylimos.com.