Carolina Limousine

Joe Reinhardt (left) with his wife Gillian (right), aboard one of Carolina Limousine & Coach’s luxuriously appointed motor coaches. “I like to break the status quo in everything I do to build memorable experiences for both my clients and my staff,” says Joe. It’s Not Where You Journey, It’s How by Melissa LaScaleia Carolina Limousine & Coach began in Myrtle Beach in 2007. Over the years, owner Joe Reinhardt has grown his business into a full-service transportation company— the only one that serves in entirety the areas of the Grand Strand, Wilmington, and most recently, Charleston. With their newly updated fleet of twenty-two vehicles that includes sedans, SUVs, limousines, motor coaches, vans, minibuses, party buses and trolleys, the company offers transportation services for weddings; airport travelers; corporate, marketing, retail and special events; schools; bachelor/bachelorette parties; and medical transport. In Joe’s words: “In terms of transportation, what we offer is unlimited.” Last year, Carolina Limousine & Coach signed a university contract to transport college students in Charleston along a shuttle route throughout the peninsula, springboarding the company into the Charleston market. “Most people don’t think of transportation as being that exciting,” Joe says. “But we’re probably one of the few companies in the entire country operating at our level. We’ve set a standard and are now competing on a national level.” Joe is on the board of directors for the National Limousine Association— an organization that’s typically reserved for top industry operators from bigger markets like NYC, LA, and Chicago. “It’s totally unique that I was voted in from Myrtle Beach,” Joe says. “And I’m proud and honored to be included. I think I bring a different perspective to the table both in my approach in the way I run my business with my employees, as well as the service that I provide.  “I like to break the status quo in everything I do to build memorable experiences for both my clients and my staff. As a company, we look at ourselves as a service organization delivering concierge-level attentiveness. Our whole premise is that we offer chauffeured transportation; we see that as so much more than a driver.” For Joe, a chauffeur is a cross between a Captain Stubing from Love Boat and Alfred from Batman. He is engaged and professional, someone you can trust and who always goes the extra mile— versus someone who gets behind a steering wheel and just drives. Joe’s chauffeurs have a wide array of talents and personalities. The family business atmosphere that he’s created at his company means they are loyal and passionate about their jobs; Joe has one chauffeur who has been with him since 2007. “They believe in what we are doing,” he says. “We are a boutique service, and like a big family. There are no limits to the good service that we provide. If something goes wrong, we’ll fix it asap. We’re solution providers. If we are at a wedding and the bride has a headache, we’re going to go to the store and get a Tylenol for her. I had one chauffeur who even gave the bride away. “I’m not willing to sacrifice service to be bigger. Too many companies make that mistake and become corporate America. You can feel that when it is; and you can feel that when it isn’t.” Inside the party bus – Myrtle Beach’s most entertaining way to get around town – or to have a party aboard with no destination in mind. Inside the party bus – Myrtle Beach’s most entertaining way to get around town – or to have a party aboard with no destination in mind. Previous Next Joe has used the additional downtime Covid has mandated to become even better at what he does. “We were always so busy performing the work, but Covid has allowed us to pull back and open our minds to new modes of operating so that we could expand our business and evolve it in the way that we were already headed,” Joe says. “We’ve reorganized as a company and become a technological juggernaut with our communications. The technology allows us to be consistent with polices and procedures and the service that we offer.” Joe and his team can do anything— they’ll even help you organize your event logistics. Joe’s wife, Gillian, is one of the top wedding photographers in the area. Her experience in the industry has given him a unique perspective and understanding of what is needed at a wedding when arranging guest transportation. “Transportation is something that people don’t really want to deal with and often they don’t know what they need,” Joe says. “I’ve been doing this for so long, I can narrow it down quickly. We have completed over 10,000 weddings in my career.” Additionally, in the past, they’ve provided transportation for corporations attending the Super Bowl, presidential campaigns, celebrities, and the Myrtle Beach Marathon.  They accommodate almost any size party, from one person to groups up to 500, and can go anywhere in the country. New for 2021, Joe plans on introducing local trolley tours. “I do a lot of traveling and always use airport service and a transportation company, to see what else is out there and what is offered in the world of transportation,” he says. “And I’m proud to say that we are one of the best. It goes back to what my people do and the type of people on my team. “I think it also ties back to Myrtle Beach. There’s an energy here. People move to the beach for excitement, for an easier and better life. They still want to feel important, they want to work— but because they love what they do. You can feel that passion. I feel so blessed I’ve run into the right people in my life to support my business and my vision for it.” Carolina Limousine & Coach is part of the Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce, and the Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Council. The National Limousine Association … Read more

Where the Journey Is as Important as the Destination by Melissa LaScaleia Joe Reinhardt is originally from Syracuse, NY where he worked for many years in corporate sales. In 2001, he moved to Myrtle Beach seeking sunnier skies and a slower pace of living. He began working part time as a chauffeur, then opened his own business, Carolina Limousine & Coach, in 2007.  “I started with one stretch limousine,” he says. “I never expected it to get as big as it is now. My ambition was to have five vehicles, I thought that was the limit. Today we are up to nineteen vehicles and still growing.”  Carolina Limousine & Coach is the only full service transportation company in the Myrtle Beach and Wilmington areas. They have sedans, SUVs, limousines, motor coaches, vans, minibuses, party buses, and trolleys in their fleet of newly updated vehicles. They offer transport services for weddings; airport travelers; special events; corporate events; marketing events; schools; bachelor parties; and bachelorette parties.  “We look at ourselves as a service organization that offers concierge level service,” Joe says in speaking of his company. “Our whole premise is that we offer chauffeured transportation versus just a driver.”  For Joe, a chauffeur is a cross between Captain Stubing from Love Boat and Alfred from Batman— he is engaged, he is professional, he goes the extra mile always— versus a driver who just gets behind a steering wheel and drives.  “We’re setting a standard and competing on a national level,” he says. “We’re looking to always enhance our customers’ experiences. That’s the culture we created, and we’ve backed it up with the best vehicles. We probably own of the nicest fleets in the Southeast.”     Joe changed the transportation market when he introduced party buses to Myrtle Beach. Now, people can take their party on the road because of the large crowds the vehicle can accommodate. — Photo Scott Smallin Photography Joe’s chauffeurs have a wide array of talents and personalities. The family business atmosphere that he has created at his company means they are loyal and passionate about their jobs; Joe has one chauffeur who has been with him since 2007.  “We are like a big family,” he says. “We have to be to have the service that we do. Our people are employees and have worker’s comp; they are not independent contractors. We take care of our employees and they, in turn, take care of our customers.  “There are no limits to the good service that we provide. If something goes wrong, we’ll fix it asap. We’re solution providers. If we are at a wedding and the bride has a headache, we’re going to go to the store and get a Tylenol for her. I had one chauffeur who even gave the bride away.  “I do a lot of traveling and every time I do, I use airport service and a transportation company, just to see what else is out there. And we are the best at what we do.”  Joe and his team can do anything— they’ll even help you organize your event logistics.  “My wife, Gillian, is one of the top wedding photographers in the area,” he says. “Because of her extensive experience in this industry, I have a different perspective and better understanding of what is needed at a wedding when arranging guest transportation.”  “We ask different questions so I can discover what you really need,” he explains. “Transportation is something that people don’t really want to deal with and often they don’t know what they need. I’ve been doing this for so long, I can narrow it down quickly. We have completed over over 9,000 weddings in my career. It’s a big responsibility to make sure we have all the details correct.”  80% of Joe’s vehicles are buses, as the company organizes travel for an increasingly large number of corporations and groups of all kinds. — Photo Scott Smallin Photography Although they arrange transportation for over 900 weddings per year, 80% of Carolina Limousine & Coach’s vehicles are buses. In recent years, they gravitated into the bus/motor coach business, and orchestrate travel for many corporations, Coastal Carolina University, and the Chamber of Commerce. They work with groups as small as one person up to 500 people, and can go anywhere in the country.  “We’ve been asked to provide transportation for corporations attending the Super Bowl, for presidential campaigns, celebrities, and the Myrtle Beach Marathon,” Joe says.  Joe changed the market of transportation when he introduced Party Buses to Myrtle Beach.  “They are safer, you can stand up in them, and hold more people in them,” he says. “It’s more of an inclusive atmosphere for your event, as opposed to a limousine which is limited in the number of people it can hold.”  Carolina Limousine & Coach is part of the Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce and the Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Council. The National Limousine Association named him the Humanitarian of the Year in 2015.  Joe had the first pink limousine in the country; 10% of the proceeds from its use went to a local Myrtle Beach charity, Caring in Our Lifetime.  “As a small business owner, you have a responsibility to your community— you have to be a steward of your community,” he says. “Volunteering is so important. We organized the Christmas Party for the Boys and Girls Club annually. We gather wedding industry members, photographers, DJs, and catering managers, and deliver toys to the Boys and Girl’s Club, assigning certain children to vendors.”  “Gillian and I have been married for thirteen years,” he says, “and my kids have grown up around the business. I have two daughters, Alexis and Sophia. Without my family I could never have built Carolina Limousine and Coach. My wife calls herself support services. She doesn’t realize she is the star of the show.” Carolina Limousine & Coach 7269 Hwy. 707, Myrtle Beach, SC 29588 843-294-5466 843-293-5466 843-293-7433 Open M-Sa 8am-6pm; Su 9am-1pm. www.carolinalimo.com Facebook @ Myrtle Beach Limo