BusCon has been the most extensive gathering of private and public-sector decision-makers in the bus industry for over 16 years. At the conference people can go to seminars and exhibits to find the newest information and technologies regarding the transportation industry.

Kelly gave his advice and expertise regarding “How to Get Grant Money”. This session talked about how there is millions of dollars worth of grants available to help motorcoach companies purchase equipment, improve security, meet federal ADA accessibility statutes and provide start-up funding for regional and intercity transportation services.

“It was great to talk about the importance of grants and how effective they are in supporting the transportation industry,” said Ryan Kelly. “I am honored to help people become more aware of these funding opportunities.”

]]> http://communityspec.com/community-spec-news/buscon-2011-guest-speaker-ryan-kelly/feed/ 0 http://communityspec.com/community-spec-news/community-spec-clients-successful-in-2011-ibsg-round/ http://communityspec.com/community-spec-news/community-spec-clients-successful-in-2011-ibsg-round/#comments Tue, 30 Aug 2011 17:32:51 +0000 Christi Bergen http://communityspec.com/?p=1594  

August 30, 2011- Community Spec, a Terrapin Blue family company, is proud to announce that the Intercity Bus Security Grant for 2011 was a success. This was one of the most competitive rounds we have seen for this grant and it is our pleasure to say that 100% of our applicants received funding.

A total of $4,990,000 was available to fund transportation security initiatives for the motorcoach companies.  These initiatives included facility and/or vehicle security enhancements within the industry. Community Spec clients received $1.8 million dollars collectively – nearly 40% of the total available funds.

“Terrapin Blue is very exited for our clients who participated in the 2011 DHS Intercity Bus Security Grant Program,” stated Ryan Kelly, CEO of Terrapin Blue. “It was a very competitive round this year with the limited amount of funding available nationally. The Community Spec team is excited for our clients who will be able to mitigate unwanted events onboard their buses and at their facilities because of the intercity program. Our industry should also remain vigilant in the funding battle to ensure that this important program does not get overshadowed by the intense budget battles that are currently taking place in Congress. Security is not an issue on which you can place a price tag and we have learned from tragedies like September 11^th that unwanted events occur when not reinforced by programs like intercity bus security.”

This grant is an opportunity for businesses in our industry to maximize their safety and awareness. With complete success on all of our grant applications, we are honored to have played a role in making our communities and neighborhoods continuously remain safe from natural disasters or terrorism acts.

Congratulations to all of the awarded companies! Our team at Community Spec is looking forward to working with everyone on successful completions of all funded grant projects in the future.

The amount available for the 2011 grant is $8.8 million. Charter and fixed route carriers are eligible. The funding provided within the grant will help with improvements on buses such as adding lifts, doors, tie-downs, and moveable seats, and also helps provide any type of training related to passengers or other operational activities. This grant also allows companies to be reimbursed for existing wheel chair lifts previously purchased after June 8, 1998.

For several years the Motorcoach Council has been helping with grass root efforts to better the environment. Their green initiatives are helping with our carbon footprint, carbon dioxide emissions, fuel efficiency and much more. Terrapin Blue wants to express their support to the Motorcoach Council’s ongoing efforts, which are essential to making the transportation industry sustainable.

This last spring, Ryan Kelly, CEO of Terrapin Blue, had the honor of becoming an active member of the board for the Motorcoach Council. He was named a valuable “Contributor To The Board” and has been invited to attend all meetings with the council’s Board of Directors. Mr. Kelly, with the help of Heather Horton, thought donating Community Spec’s, a Terrapin Blue Family Company, grant writing services would help with the continuing growth of the Get Motorcoachified campaign.

“We’re pleased to partner with Terrapin Blue on this exciting new grant opportunity and extend this exceptional value to the industry’s motorcoach operators,” stated Heather Horton, Motorcoach Marketing Council’s Executive Director. “The Community Spec grant writers have a proven track record and have a 97% success rate on funded OTRBA-ADA grant applications. The raffle is a great way to file this grant application at a fraction of the retail rate, while supporting the Council’s nation-wide public awareness campaign.”

Motorcoach operators can purchase raffle tickets, with a drawing date of August 15th, directly from the Motorcoach Marketing Council by contacting Heather Horton, Executive Director by phone at 303-818-3499 or via email at Heather@MotorcoachCouncil.org. Raffle ticket entry forms may be downloaded online at http://goo.gl/lvM2b.

Community Spec is thrilled to give back to the transportation community and hopes the Motorcoach Council’s efforts are successful in years to come. For more information about Community Spec, a Terrapin Blue Family Company, please contact Chelsey Quick at 1(877)860-2583 ext 332 or by email at cquick@terrapinblue.com.

With the funds available from this grant, our clients can now begin working on Facility Security, Vehicle Security, and Training and Exercises. These projects are a meaningful investments for any owner-operator, because they afford them the ability to breath a sigh of relief that in case of emergency, they are very well prepared.

Nothing scares operators more than the thought of losing lives to emergencies that could be prevented. With the help of this grant, coupled with our own training programs and processes, this concern can be greatly lessened.

Such companies as Daniel’s Charter from Georgia, Vandalia Bus Lines from Illinois, and Red Carpet Charters from Oklahoma are a few of the many clients that we have worked with to receive federal funding for these important infrastructure-protecting investments. It brings us great pride to know that many of the projects they requested have been fully funded, and we look forward to working with them in the future!

This four-day event was a productive experience for the Terrapin Blue family of companies, and served as an opportunity for our team to network with motorcoach industry professionals.

At our booth throughout the event’s Product Pavilion portion, we met hundreds of professionals that represent a variety of groups in the travel industry, including bus operators, hotel owners and destination marketing organizations. Eager to hear about the diverse array of services that our family of companies provides, these individuals learned a great deal about Terrapin Blue throughout Marketplace.

(Pictured above on left: Ryan Kelly, CEO of Terrapin Blue, on the Product Pavilion floor.)

The Terrapin Blue team also attended educational seminars led by professional speakers and industry leaders throughout the week, learning about a variety of topics applicable to the transportation industry, such as marketing and social media.

And of course, being in Philadelphia, our team took the opportunity to experience the city’s rich history and culture.

Marketplace 2011 was a unique industry event for our company, and Terrapin Blue looks forward to its continued partnership with the American Bus Association, as well as future ABA-sponsored events.

Read more about our recent exclusive partnership with the American Bus Association here.

Slated for January 8-12 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in downtown Philadelphia, Marketplace will gather hundreds of motorcoach operators from across the country, serving as a venue for workshops led by industry experts, one-on-one meeting sessions and networking mini-events

Operators will have the chance to meet with Terrapin Blue throughout the multi-day event at its Product Pavilion table to learn about the services that the organization offers, and discuss potential business opportunities.

Terrapin Blue CEO Ryan Kelly spoke in regards to the upcoming event:

“I am excited about Marketplace 2011,” Kelly said. “I look forward to meeting with operators that are helping to impact the motorcoach industry every day, and know that this will be a valuable event for Terrapin Blue.”

Terrapin Blue still has time slots available to meet with operators throughout Marketplace. To schedule a time to meet with Terrapin Blue, contact Chelsey Quick at (706) 521-0533 ext. 332 or via email at cquick@terrapinblue.com.

About Terrapin Blue

Terrapin Blue is being recognized as the one-stop shop for transportation companies to further their business. With the ability to write and facilitate grants for their partner companies as well as furthering media relations through website production, online marketing and search engine optimization, and leading-edge emergency preparedness and security services, Terrapin Blue Holdings, LLC is positioned as a unique consultancy firm to grow bus industry awareness. To learn more, visit www.terrapinblue.com.

About the American Bus Association

The American Bus Association (ABA) represents approximately 1,000 motorcoach and tour companies in the United States and Canada, facilitating relationships between the North American motorcoach industry and all related segments of the travel and supplier industry. ABA creates awareness of the motorcoach industry among consumers, communicating publicly on important issues like motorcoach and highway safety.

About Marketplace

Hosted each year by the ABA, Marketplace is one of the largest annual events within the motorcoach industry.

Recent news of the award for Federal Transit Administration funding of the Over-the-Road Bus Accessibility (OTRBA) Projects show Community Spec, LLC clients being awarded more than $4.4 million.

Community Spec wrote grants for more than 70 transportation organizations and is proud to announce a 95% success rate in awarded grant applications.

This is spectacular news for the motorcoach industry as this grant provides Federal funding to motorcoach carriers to make their fleet compliant for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) through purchase of new wheelchair lift equipment for buses.

Retrofits, new wheelchair lifts and operational training of the equipment are all costs covered by the OTRBA grant award. This program also requires only a nominal client match of 10%. Being awarded these funds can and will revolutionize operations for companies who receive these monies.

Terrapin Blue President Anthony Vaccarello spoke regarding the news:

“We are very excited for all of our clients and partners in the motorcoach industry who will be impacted by this award,” said Vaccarello. “It is a humbling experience to have assisted so many people with this important project and we look forward to years of continued success.”

About Community Spec

Community Spec LLC is a grant writing company for the motorcoach industry. Under the Terrapin Blue Family of Companies, which also includes Plan of Action LLC and Green Room International Productions, Community Spec has the ability to write and facilitate grants for its partner companies. Terrapin Blue is being recognized as the one-stop shop for transportation companies to further their business, and is positioned as a unique consultancy firm to grow bus industry awareness. To learn more about Community Spec, visit www.communityspec.com

ATHENS, Georgia – December 1 , 2010 - Terrapin Blue Holdings, LLC and respective family of companies recently entered into an exclusive partnership with the American Bus Association.

Nationally recognized for their work with public/private partnerships, professional grant services, innovative security/emergency preparedness work, and contemporary media services, the Terrapin Blue family of companies (Community Spec, LLC, Plan of Action, LLC and Green Room International Productions, LLC (GRIP)) has positioned itself to be the go-to firm to help transportation companies grow and compete in the 21^st century American business environment.

On Partnering with the American Bus Association

“Terrapin Blue is excited to be working with the American Bus Association,” said Ryan Kelly, President and CEO of Terrapin Blue. “We felt that this partnership best fit the types of professional services that our family of companies provides the transportation industry and look forward to the opportunity of developing long-term relationships with many of the ABA members.”

“The Terrapin Blue team is committed to providing innovative professional services to ABA operators by diversifying transportation portfolios, securing federal, state, and local grant resources, implementing state-of-the-art emergency preparedness programs and creating contemporary media strategies in respective markets,” he said.

About the American Bus Association

The American Bus Association (ABA) represents approximately 1,000 motorcoach and tour companies in the United States and Canada, facilitating relationships between the North American motorcoach industry and all related segments of the travel and supplier industry. ABA creates awareness of the motorcoach industry among consumers, communicating publicly on important issues like motorcoach and highway safety. To learn more, visit www.buses.org.

About Ryan Kelly and Terrapin Blue Holdings, LLC.

Ryan Kelly is President and CEO of Terrapin Blue Holdings, LLC. Terrapin Blue is being recognized as the one-stop shop for transportation companies to further their business. With the ability to write and facilitate grants for their partner companies as well as furthering media relations through website production, online marketing and search engine optimization, and leading-edge emergency preparedness and security services, Terrapin Blue Holdings, LLC is positioned as a unique consultancy firm to grow bus industry awareness. To learn more, visit www.terrapinblue.com.

Community Spec has the know-how to help your bus company receive free money in federal grants. With a team of experienced grant writing professionals working on your behalf, our company is fully prepared to secure government dollars for you.

Community Spec has an impressive track record of securing federal dollars through the Intercity Bus Security Grant (IBSG) Program, offered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), having captured more than 90% of nationwide grant awards available over the last 3 years. In other words, out of a possible $20 million dollars available in the Tier 2 category for bus companies with less than 50 coaches in previous years, more than $13 million dollars went to Community Spec clientele.

For the 2010 IBSG round, 60% of available funding nationally went to Community Spec clients, which secured us an 88% success rate totaling more than 3.2 million dollars, including the top three grant awards.

Community Spec also provides professional grant administrative services, working with the DHS and FEMA staff to ensure that our clients receive their money faster and providing detailed reporting to guarantee project success.

When the FEMA budget review team left for another federal agency this year, Community Spec worked closely with FEMA and the new budget review to clean up the mess, ensuring that our clients had their grants approved.

Some of our past clients include:

• Red Carpet
• Kincaid Coach
• DATTCO
• Arrow Stage Lines
• Star Shuttle & Charter
• Crystal Transport
• Wilson Bus Service
• DC Trails
• Newton Bus Service
• Excellent Bus Service
• Stout’s Transportation
• Star Transit
• All Aboard America
• Capital
• Colonial Trailways

Our team works hard to make sure that your company receives all of the federal funding available as possible.

Community Spec has also been very successful with the FTA’s 5311(f) Inter-City Bus Service Grants Program (IBSGP), successfully funding a total of more than 2.2 million dollars for bus companies in South Carolina, Alabama and Mississippi. The IBSG 2011 is expected to be announced next month by the Department of Homeland Security, and there are a number of opportunities for which funding will be available.

The Green Room International Productions (GRIP) team helps offset the costs of operation by establishing advertising along the intercity bus route corridors, helping to establish service and ensure client success.

For more information about the OTRBA grant, click here. For more information on the 5311(f) IBSGP, click here.

To register and guarantee your spot for the IBSGP, please contact Chelsey Quick at cquick@terrapinblue.com or 877-860-2583 x335.