Celtic John: So What’s Up His Kilt Now? By Rick Coates It seems like a simple proposition on the surface. Simply spend $45 (if you are in Traverse City and live in Interlochen) if you have been enjoying a night on the town with some adult beverages, or risk getting behind the wheel of your vehicle and driving while intoxicated. If caught, expect to spend $5,000 to $8,000 in legal fees and increased insurance fees -- or even worse yet, you could kill someone if you drive while intoxicated. It is this proposition Celtic John offers daily in the Traverse City region. Nicknamed Celtic John by his radio friends Omelette & Finster, John O’Brien launched Celtic Transport Logistics (a.k.a. Celtic Shuttle & Tours) on St. Patrick’s Day 2006 in Traverse City. In four years he has seen Celtic Transport grow from one to seven vehicles. When he hatched the idea Traverse City had one of the highest DUI arrest rates per capita in Michigan, and according to a police officer friend of Celtic John’s, that rate has been lowered since he began offering his service. Celtic John started his shuttle business as much to fill a need for him as he did for the community. “I needed a job and there were not many jobs at the time in Traverse City, so I started this shuttle service,” he said. In addition he has been driving school buses for TCAPS, a job he says may be in jeopardy if the schools end up privatizing their busing program. As he prepares for the busy High Holy Days of St. Patrick (look for him in the St. Patrick’s Parade on Saturday and around town next Wednesday on St. Patrick’s Day with his shuttles) he took time to reflect on the past, present and future of his business.
Northern Express: What inspired you to start Celtic Transport? Celtic John: When I was living in Ireland I would go to weddings and everyone would drive themselves to get there and everyone would take a bus home. First time offense for drinking and driving and you lose your license for two years, second offense and you lose it for life. When I moved back to Traverse City there just wasn’t a lot of jobs, I started driving buses for TCAPS, so I thought this concept might work.
NE: Well has it worked? Celtic John: They say it takes five years before a business turns a profit and I am definitely proving that theory. The expenses from fuel to maintenance are tough, last year I spent over $40,000 in maintaining and repairing the vehicles, the roads around here are tough on the vehicles. I also spent $15,000 on insurance. But I have seen the business grow from one to seven vehicles and in the summertime I have been turning business away. So I think in 2010 I am going to finally make a profit.
NE: Does 2010 look good? Celtic John: No, it looks great. Going into 2009 I had six bookings. At the start of 2010 I had 30 bookings for the season. Plus the phone has been ringing off the hook and we are way ahead of bookings from this time last year. In many ways my business is recession proof, people are still going to get married and people are still going to drink.
NE: So weddings are a big part of your business? Celtic John: Yes, they make up 50% of it and winery tours make up 20% and the rest of the business is private parties, corporate shuttle service, event shuttles and bars.
NE: Speaking of bars, are you still offering late night shuttle service? Celtic John: Yes, but not by having a shuttle out driving around from bar to bar on the weekends anymore. I like to say it was the best marketing campaign I launched by accident. I stopped having the shuttle out driving around on weekends a year ago, I was losing money. Sure, it gave me a name but I had to be smart about it from a business perspective. So now bartenders encourage patrons to call me when they need a ride. It is a lot more cost effective.
NE: Your biggest challenge? Celtic John: There are a lot of them. I like to consider myself one of the spokes in the wheel that helps to promote tourism. Not everyone has this perspective. For example, some wineries have labeled the guests I am bringing as “bus people” and they do not want them. They have stereotyped everyone based on previous experiences. But these people are valuable to our economy, they come here and spend money in our hotels, restaurants and shops and many of them spend a lot of money at the wineries as well. We have had some embarrassing experiences and some situations that have had a negative impact on the perception of Traverse City.
NE: Do explain? Celtic John: Fortunately most wineries do not operate this way. We also call ahead and get permission. We recently brought a group of professionals out to a winery and even though we had permission we were greeted in the parking lot by a winery employee who said we were not welcome. The guests were frustrated but we agreed to go elsewhere. Despite being treated poorly they wanted to get a picture outside before heading off to the next winery. Well as they got off the bus this employee starting yelling at them and told them they were asked to leave and to get back on the bus. These guests were so incensed that they said they would never come back to Traverse City and would never buy another bottle of wine from that winery ever again. They also said they were going to tell everyone about their experience.
NE: It seems odd that wineries wouldn’t welcome you with open arms. Is it getting better? Celtic John: I agree, after all, these people have already made the right decision of touring the wineries with a designated driver. The wineries that like us are the ones that have the bigger picture, they also see themselves as a spoke in the tourism wheel. We see patterns in our tours and where people buy wine and where they don’t. We hear time and time again “oh this winery was so friendly” as they walk out with bottles or cases, or this “winery was not friendly and they treated us as an inconvenience.” When someone calls me about my services I have to sell them on what I offer, I can’t expect that just because they called they are going to do business with me. I see this with some wineries; they expect that everyone who walks through their doors is going to hand over their wallet. Sometimes it isn’t about having the best tasting wine; it is about having the friendliest staff.
NE: So what is in store for the future for Celtic Transport Logistics? Celtic John: We are in the process of expanding, looking to buy a facility to work on our vehicles. We are looking to buy a trolley and some executive vehicles for corporate transport. I am even working on some tours of Ireland. With the schools looking to privatize bussing we are looking at how that might work in our business model. We have been offering a morning and evening shuttle service for the college and NMC officials have said it has helped with parking issues on campus. We also see ourselves more involved with event shuttling. Now some private schools have been approaching us. The Film Festival and the recent Winter Microbrew Festival have contracted with us for event shuttling and we see more of this happening with other events. We are also now doing brewery tours. As we grow -- and I say ‘we’ because it is more than just me as I have a great customer service oriented team -- I see us being the number one and best tour guide service in the area.
NE: Tips for selecting a transportation service? Celtic John: Make sure their vehicles have the State inspection sticker. All of our vehicles have been inspected by the state, which means they are going through a regular maintenance schedule. Plus it means we are properly insured and our drivers are certified. That isn’t always the case with some operators so do your homework. We also pride ourselves on the little things that make a difference, like being flexible for our customers. We succeed based on our reputation; it is why we do little in the way of conventional advertising as we have hotels, wineries, the Visitors Bureau, bartenders and others who recommend us.
For additional information on Celtic Transport Logistics go to www.celticshuttles.com or call them anytime at 231-313-KILT (1760).
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