Monday January 22, 2024

Tell us a little bit about BASE Transportation Solutions:

BASE is a family business that has been operating out of the Chicago area since 1987. We have three employees, and then about 26 IO’s who drive for us consistently. Our fleet (sedans and SUVs) fluctuates on demand, and by season. Our focus is predominantly B2B, concierge-style transportation for professionals and C-suite executives, with a tremendous amount of affiliate work — probably 30% of our business, at this point.

Our entire business model is built on relationships, both internally and with our clients. Our personalized approach means we are with our clients no matter where they are, and that includes me. I’m available to everyone, 24-hours a day, via my cell. 

How did you, personally, end up in the transportation industry? 

I was 11 when I became the A in BASE, so on some level it was destined, but I officially took over in March of 2001. Then September 11th happened, which basically catapulted me into a trial-by-fire experience of being a new owner in the midst of a dramatically shifting landscape. It felt completely insane at the time, but actually ended up serving me when the pandemic arrived 20 years later … for better or worse, I already had a kind of playbook for navigating total industry chaos and unknowns.

What has been your experience as an ILLBA member? 

I find the ILLBA to be a tremendous resource. The communication — specifically the newsletters — is invaluable, and the information they are getting from the City of Chicago and the Department of Transportation and pushing out to members is better than it’s ever been. Any operator should be a member of the ILLBA for that alone. Incredible opportunities to stay connected to the pulse of the industry, both locally and on a broader scale.

Any predictions, hopes, or ambitions for the future of our industry?

I’m curious how our industry will continue to specialize over the next couple of years. I feel like there is a collective need to dial in more deliberately on the high-level offerings that further distinguish black car operators from the click-to-ride services that are, of course, also proliferating. I’ll be interested to see what that looks like as the clients become increasingly savvy around their expectations and what sorts of experiences they are willing to have.

You can reach Aaron at aaron@baselimo.com, +1 312 423 7891, or on LinkedIn.

Read Aaron’s full interview on our website. 

Calling all members and vendors/suppliers! Want to be featured on an upcoming Spotlight Series? Contact Paula at the ILLBA office.

City of Chicago Events and Traffic Restrictions



Wrigley Field Transportation Restrictions Map 2023 - click here

Soldier Field Transportation Restrictions Map 2023 - click here

Transportation Restrictions for Bally's Temporary Casino Effective Sept. 9 - click here

Uptown Entertainment District Transportation Restrictions Eff Dec 22 - click here

Continued Closure Of Canal St. At Union Station - click here

McCormick Place Events Calendar

Stay up to date on traffic and road closures by downloading and using the Chicago OEMC App: Chicago.gov/OEMC

News You Can Use

The NLA Scholarship Program Is Now Open!

The NLA Scholarship Program, organized and funded by the NLA, is designed to enable new operators to attend the CD/NLA Show at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV from March 3-6, 2024. These scholarships provide an unsurpassed business development opportunity for operators who have recently launched their companies and have never attended a CD/NLA event before.

What does the scholarship include?

• One (1) Full Show Pass to the 2024 CD/NLA Show in Las Vegas ($449)
• Four (4) paid nights at host hotel, MGM Grand ($815)
• One (1) year NLA membership if scholarship winner is not currently an NLA member ($395+)
• Networking and education to grow your business (Priceless!)

ILLBA is proud to have several of our members as former scholarship winners!

Click here to learn more, and apply by January 26th.

BMW CFO: Sales Growth Is mostly Electric As Combustion Engine 'tipping point' Passes

BERLIN, Jan 15 (Reuters) - BMW (BMWG.DE),  has passed the tipping point for combustion engine vehicle sales and now generates most sales growth from electric cars, its chief financial officer said in a media roundtable.

"The tipping point for the combustion engine is already there," CFO Walter Mertl said, adding that in his view it had been passed last year.

"The current sales plateau for combustion cars will continue and then fall slightly," he predicted, pointing to looming environmental regulation that will restrict sales of such vehicles.

Read more

The 13 Biggest Car Fails Of The 21st Century So Far

Source: Robb Report

Running a car company has got to be a fiendishly complicated thing to do. Not only do you have to design, launch, market, and sell cars, you also have to meet government regulations for any number of countries, keep your customers happy, and appease shareholders. This complexity means that sometimes the machinery of business breaks down and the ball gets dropped somewhere. Most of the time that’s not big enough for people outside the company to notice, but other times it’s enough to cause massive trouble.

Read more

Grant And Education Opportunities

If you know of any opportunities in the midwest or nationally, please email the ILLBA office so we can share with members.

“The currency of real networking is not greed but generosity.”

-Keith Ferrazzi