Expresspark Wins 2013 Delaware County Small Business of the Year Award!

Your two favorite Philadelphia Airport Parking facilities, Expresspark Airport Parking and Smart Park Airport Parking were awarded the coveted 2013 Small Business of the Year Award by the Delco Chamber of Commerce on April 3, 2013.

Your votes were heard and counted.  The businesses were nominated by the Delco Chamber of Commerce, but actual voting took place on the Delco Chamber’s Facebook page in late March, where the votes were cast by fellow Delco Chamber members and the public at large.

The Awards ceremony took place at a luncheon on April 3rd at the Drexelbrook Corporate Center.  Ed Herr, son of the founder of the Herr’s Potato Chip Empire, who represents the penultimate American small business success story, was the keynote speaker at the awards luncheon.

Stephanie Kozak-Allen, President and Founder of Expresspark Airport Parking, and Co-Founder and VP of Smart Park Airport Parking, was in attendance to receive the award along with her General Manager, RC Ewing, and a bevy of proud smiling employees of the respective businesses, family, and friends. Stephanie accepted the award on behalf of herself and Stephen Allen, President of Smart Park, and all of the employees of the two companies whose dedication to customer service excellence defines Expresspark and Smart Park in this industry.

The business owners’ commitment to their employees, to the airport parking industry, and to the community at large is what differentiates Expresspark and Smart Park Airport Parking Companies from the rest.  During the airline industry’s crisis after 9/11, the founders forfeited their salaries to prevent additional employee layoffs and to keep the businesses viable.

The companies’ philosophies are to provide the very best customer service possible in the industry, and to provide it with “smiles” and the courtesy the traveler deserves!

Expresspark and Smart Park Airport Parking companies are an integral part of the community, by providing hundreds of thousands of dollars of revenue generated from an airport parking tax to the local township, school board and the airport; approximately 190 jobs and through its membership in a multitude of professional associations, among them the National Parking Association, the Greater Phila. Chamber of Commerce, the Delco Chamber of Commerce, the Chester County Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Professional Women, and the Better Business Bureau. They also actively participate in and contribute to various community fundraising events to benefit Widener University, Pennsylvania Association of Twp. Commissioners, Tinicum Twp. Fire Dept. and “Mommy’s Light,” to name just a few.

Expresspark founded by Stephanie Kozak-Allen also has certification as a Woman Business Enterprise, and a Woman Owned Small Business.  Stephanie is a member of Women Impacting Public Policy and Women in Parking.

Expresspark is the first “Eco-Friendly” parking facility on the East Coast; using eco-friendly “Made in the USA” materials in its construction and dedicated to preserving and indeed improving the environment.

Hats Off, Kudos, and Big High 5’s to Expresspark and Smart Park Airport Parking Facilities for being Delco Chamber of Commerce 2013 Small Businesses of the Year!

Smart Park / Expresspark’s Bob Taylor Helps Save Life of Fellow Employee, Mark Tancredi

Smart Park / Expresspark employees Mark Tancredi, Sr. and Bob Taylor were working third shift on a bitterly cold spring night in late March 2013 when events began to unfold that would indelibly change both of their lives. Mark and Bob, both drivers and security personnel for Smart Park and Expresspark, were returning together from fueling a vehicle when a dispatcher radioed that Mark had visitors waiting for him at the lot. Visiting co-workers Kandra Frost and Reed Anderson greeted Mark and Bob upon their return to the lot.

The camaraderie of the visit ended moments later when Mark suddenly and inexplicably fell to the ground unconscious. That’s when his buddy, Bob Taylor, rose to action. He immediately went into “crisis” mode, first calling the dispatcher Andrea Corcoran and requesting she call 911 immediately, then assessing Mark’s condition, all the while remaining calm, and trying to keep everyone around him calm.

Bob determined that Mark was unconscious with a very weak pulse, so he made sure Mark’s airway was clear and started chest compressions and saying, “Hang in there Mark; you’re going be OK,” until Tinicum Township Officers Andrew O’Neill and Kevin Wiley arrived on the scene. The officers continued what Bob had started, with Officer O’Neill beginning rescue breathing and Officer Wiley beginning chest compressions after determining Mark had no pulse. Next, paramedics arrived on the scene and spent close to 40 minutes stabilizing Mark before transporting him to the hospital.

Mark doesn’t remember the events of that March evening when he suffered a massive heart attack that almost claimed his life. However, weeks later, Mark was well on the road to recovery when he attended a special meeting at the Tinicum Township Municipal Building on April 15, 2013, a meeting in which the people who helped save his life were honored. Tinicum Twp. Officials awarded “life-saving medals” and Certificates of Merit to Officers Wiley and O’Neill. Bob Taylor received a Certificate of Merit. Tinicum Township Officer, Mark Tancredi, Jr., Mark’s son, addressed the group on his father’s behalf. But the biggest reward for Bob and all was seeing Mark Tancredi, Sr., alive and well, in attendance.

Being interviewed afterwards and asked how he felt about receiving the Certificate of Merit, Bob’s response was, “I was completely surprised; I didn’t expect anything like this; I only did what I thought anyone would do under the circumstances. I love Mark, we’re teammates.” Mark was lucky to have such a courageous “teammate.”

Bob’s life experience prepared him well for such an emergency. Bob served for four years in the Air Force including a brief stint at Tan Son Nhut Air Base in Vietnam. Following that Bob served 27 years in the NJ National Guard. He also worked for the USPS for 36 years, where he received regular “Safety Briefings” on how to handle emergency situations. He credits his USPS training and the CPR training he received in the Air Force for the ability to rise to action on that fateful evening of March 29.

Best wishes to Mark Tancredi for a speedy and complete recovery. Heart-felt thank you’s to Officer Kevin Wiley, Officer Andrew O’Neill, and to Smart Park and Expresspark’s very own Bob Taylor!

Expresspark / Smartpark Named 2013 Small Businesses of the Year!

Your two favorite Philadelphia Airport Parking facilities, Expresspark Airport Parking and Smart Park Airport Parking were awarded the coveted 2013 Small Business of the Year Award by the Delco Chamber of Commerce on April 3, 2013.

Your votes were heard and counted.  The businesses were nominated by the Delco Chamber of Commerce, but actual voting took place on the Delco Chamber’s Facebook page in late March, where the votes were cast by fellow Delco Chamber members and the public at large.

The Awards ceremony took place at a luncheon on April 3rd at the Drexelbrook Corporate Center.  Ed Herr, son of the founder of the Herr’s Potato Chip Empire, who represents the penultimate American small business success story, was the keynote speaker at the awards luncheon.

Stephanie Kozak-Allen, President and Founder of Expresspark Airport Parking, and Co-Founder and VP of Smart Park Airport Parking, was in attendance to receive the award along with her General Manager, RC Ewing, and a bevy of proud smiling employees of the respective businesses, family, and friends. Stephanie accepted the award on behalf of herself and Stephen Allen, President of Smart Park, and all of the employees of the two companies whose dedication to customer service excellence defines Expresspark and Smart Park in this industry.

The business owners’ commitment to their employees, to the airport parking industry, and to the community at large is what differentiates Expresspark and Smart Park Airport Parking Companies from the rest.  During the airline industry’s crisis after 9/11, the founders forfeited their salaries to prevent additional employee layoffs and to keep the businesses viable.

The companies’ philosophies are to provide the very best customer service possible in the industry, and to provide it with “smiles” and the courtesy the traveler deserves!

Expresspark and Smart Park Airport Parking companies are an integral part of the community, by providing hundreds of thousands of dollars of revenue generated from an airport parking tax to the local township, school board and the airport; approximately 190 jobs and through its membership in a multitude of professional associations, among them the National Parking Association, the Greater Phila. Chamber of Commerce, the Delco Chamber of Commerce, the Chester County Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Professional Women, and the Better Business Bureau. They also actively participate in and contribute to various community fundraising events to benefit Widener University, Pennsylvania Association of Twp. Commissioners, Tinicum Twp. Fire Dept. and “Mommy’s Light,” to name just a few.

Expresspark founded by Stephanie Kozak-Allen also has certification as a Woman Business Enterprise, and a Woman Owned Small Business.  Stephanie is a member of Women Impacting Public Policy and Women in Parking.

Expresspark is the first “Eco-Friendly” parking facility on the East Coast; using eco-friendly “Made in the USA” materials in its construction and dedicated to preserving and indeed improving the environment.

Hats Off, Kudos, and Big High 5’s to Expresspark and Smart Park Airport Parking Facilities for being Delco Chamber of Commerce 2013 Small Businesses of the Year!

PLEASE VOTE – Smart Park and Expresspark Nominated For Small Business of the Year!

Smart Park and Expresspark have been nominated for Small Business of the Year by the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce! Please go to www.facebook.com/DelcoChamber and vote for Smart Park / Expresspark!  Hurry, the deadline for voting is April 1. We thank you in advance for your support!

What Effect Will Government Budget Cuts Have on Your Upcoming Air Travel?

The Transportation Department stands to lose nearly $1 billion as a result of budget cuts, through fiscal year end, if Congress doesn’t act by Friday, March 1 to avert those cuts. These cuts will have a major impact on the FAA and the 15,000 air traffic controllers it employs. And that will have an impact on YOU!

The impact on air traffic will not be felt until April, as the FAA is required by law to give advance notice to employees of furloughs. But come April, air traffic controllers will face furloughs of one to two days every two week pay period.

But come April the impact will surely be felt!  Private and business jet traffic will sustain the greatest impact, but commercial airline traffic will surely be affected! Although the FAA will prioritize maintaining staffing at 77 “core facilities,” handling the greatest volume of air traffic, staffing will be reduced system wide and likely shut down close to 6% of the less busy air traffic control towers nationwide. At the nation’s largest airports, reduced staffing may result in runway closures and delays of up to 90 minutes during peak travel times. The reduced staffing will also likely force a reduction in maintenance and repairs at smaller airports.

Not a pretty picture with peak vacation travel just months away. Needless to say, be prepared for delays!

Bye Bye to Near Naked Body Images from TSA Full Body Scanners!

If you had privacy concerns about being scanned by the TSA full body scanners at airports across the country producing near-naked body images of travelers, you will be happy to know that by June 1, 2013, they will be removed from airports across the country and “stockpiled” in a TSA warehouse.

The scanned images these “backscatter” type scanners produced was so “anatomically correct” that TSA required the viewing officer to screen the images from a separate room and radio the results to the agent at the scanner, never seeing the person’s face who was being scanned.

TSA originally planned to warehouse these machines, produced by Rapiscan Systems, until Rapiscan developed replacement software for them so the images would resemble stick figures, alleviating privacy concerns and public outcry. But Rapiscan failed to produce, so as of early January, TSA terminated their contract with Rapiscan.

This decision means the permanent removal of 174 of these body scanners, in use in 30 airports across the country, which the TSA says will all be removed by June 1 of this year.

This does NOT mean that you will not have to go through full body scanners in airports in the future. The “pulled scanners” will be replaced with “millimeter wave” scanners which produce stick figure like images. The majority of full body scanners in airports across the country today are of this type, so these will not be affected.

Book Your Airport Parking NOW for the Holidays!!!

With the upcoming holiday season just around the corner, do yourself a favor – BOOK your airport parking as soon as you book your flight! With reservations becoming increasingly poplular, gone are the days when you could print your discount airport parking coupon off the web, drive to your preferred airport parking facility, and feel confident there would be spaces available. 

The truth is, during busy travel weeks like Thanksgiving and the winter holidays in December, airport parking facilities are generally at or OVER capacity.  Holiday travel is hectic, why add the additional stress of wondering if there will be a parking space available, or whether you will be directed to a partner lot (assuming there are spaces available), or even to park at the airport itself and pay more than double?

It only takes a few minutes to make your parking reservation, and our reservation rate is the same as our discount coupon rate – $6.75 (+ tax) per day! Plus, you only pay one day’s deposit to guarantee your space!

Save time, save money, and save yourself from the stress…book your parking when you book your flight…and start your holiday travel off right!

Business Travel Growth Rate Slowing

A report released today by the Global Business Travel Association contends that although US business travel spending is expected to rise modestly through the remainder of 2012 though 2013, it will not rise at anywhere near the rates seen in 2010 and 1011. Furthermore, it stated that even this moderate rise is more the result of increased prices for airfare and accomodations than actual increases in the number of business trips that will be taken.

Click here to read more of the GBTA’s findings.

TIP – Book Your Airport Parking Early for Weeks of Nov. 5th and Nov. 12th

There is nothing more anxiety provoking than rushing to catch your flight, driving up to your preferred airport parking facility, coupon in hand, finding out that the lot is full, and being redirected to a nearby airport parking facility.  Avoid the delay, the hassle and the stress, and book early for holidays and busy travel times! OK, so right around now you are saying to yourself….hmmmm….there is no holiday the weeks of November 5th and November 12th. Yes, you are correct, but a lot of New Jersey families travel that week because there is a 4 day weekend with schools closed for the NJEA Convention (New Jersey Education Association).

Many NJ families take vacations at this time, adding extra days to the front end and back end of the 4-day weekend.  If you are travelling either of those weeks, whether for business or for pleasure, you will find that many airport parking facilities may be at or near capacity.

So avoid the hassle and BOOK A RESERVATION to guarantee your parking space. Just 1 Day’s Deposit is all you pay at the time of booking, with the balance not due until checkout.

HAPPY TRAVELS!

Best Travel Apps! Here are our picks, tell us yours!

Here are 6 great travel apps that we just love, and we think you will too!  We chose apps that are available for both the iphone and the android, and are either FREE or minimally priced. Check them out and tell us what you think!  If you have a favorite travel app, let us know so we can share it with our readers!

1. Flight Aware – Real-time flight tracking anywhere in the world with full screen maps and Nexrad radar. Also provides info on gate changes, cancellations, and status.
2. Google Translate – This is a real-time translation app, which we think is indispensable for international travelers! Translates between over 60 languages and has lots of great features. You can speak a phrase and hear its translation real-time. You can also take a picture of written text and listen to the translation. A must for overseas travelers!
3. Gate Guru – Make the most of your time at the airport with this nifty little app that gives you a map of the airport
4. you are in and a guide to all the shopping and dining options in all of the terminals.  No more wandering around aimlessly when your connecting flight is delayed.  Find what you are looking for instantly!
5. Currency Converter HD – This wonderul currency conversion app supports conversion between 100+ of the most popular world currencies. Great styling, easy to use, and updates exchange rate as often as you choose to.
6. Hear Planet Lite – This great app takes the place of guidebooks!  This app provides audio guides of all the attractions near your location, and allows you to search for guides for attractions the world over.  How cool is that!
7. TripIt – Keep yourself organized and keep all of your trip info in one place with TripIt.  You just forward your flight confirmations, room confirmations, itineraries, etc. to TripIt, and TripIt does the rest.  Even provides you with maps, directions, and more!