Julie Chalmers Hotard Coaches General Manager
JulieC @ hotard . com Hotard Coaches is headquartered in New Orleans , Louisiana , with additional offices in Lafayette , Louisiana , and Ocean Springs , Mississippi . Hotard was founded in 1935 by Julie ’ s great grandfather , Etienne Xavier Hotard , as a line run service connecting the river parishes to the city of New Orleans . Hotard eventually grew into one of the largest motorcoach companies in the Gulf South . Currently , Hotard serves a variety of customers , everyone from 1st graders to Professional athletes , airport transfers to extended tours across the country . In addition to Hotard ’ s numerous repeat customers who have become part of the family , Hotard is extremely proud of their relationship with the United States Military , transporting thousands of troops each year .
Even though Julie grew up visiting her grandparents and playing on the motorcoaches with her cousins any chance she got , she did not officially join the company until 2007 . First hired by her uncle , Callen Hotard , Julie was responsible for employee engagement and outside sales . As a former collegiate athlete , Julie really enjoyed working with the local universities and securing the business for many different athletic departments and professional sports teams . Developing relationships with customers has always been a priority for Hotard Coaches and that came naturally to Julie having spent her entire professional career in the hospitality industry . For several years , Julie worked as the Director of Sales and Marketing , leading the sales department as they continued to expand their footprint and increase the fleet size .
In 2017 , Julie was named General Manager of the charter division , putting Hotard Coaches under its 4th generation of family leadership . “ I have been learning since day one , and it has not stopped .” Julie enjoys working with the entire team at Hotard Coaches . “ There is such a family atmosphere , and everyone works so hard to ensure we are providing the safest , most enjoyable charter experience . Working with such amazing people is one of the most rewarding parts of the job .” Julie also appreciates the role Hotard plays in the community .
Participating in community walks , volunteering at food banks , and hosting blood drives are just some of the ways Hotard works to be a great community partner . “ I love that we are able to give back to the community that has contributed to our success over the years .”
Hotard is fortunate to be headquartered in one of the busiest cities in the country and enjoys being a part of the many events . “ Superbowl ’ s , National Championships , Mardi Gras , Music Festivals , you name it and we are there . Maybe hanging out in the parking lot , but we are there . I love being a part of whatever is going on in the city .” When Hurricanes threaten or hit the area , Hotard has a major role to play as well . “ We will help with evacuations before a storm hits and then provide transportation for utility workers once the storm has passed and power needs to be restored . During those times , it is long days and long nights , but it is so rewarding to be a part of the progress . This past year , trying to work through COVID-19 , that has been the most difficult part : sitting on the sidelines . We are so used to being a part of the recovery . This has been a new experience for us .” Julie and Hotard are seeing some life come back into the industry and slowly rolling out of the yard again . Julie knows that all those relationships that Hotard has fostered over the years are exactly what is going to get them through this rough time . “ We miss our customers and I know they miss us . Starting to reunite with them has been wonderful and I cannot wait until we are rolling at full force again .”
Julie often wonders what her grandfather and great grandfather would think of the business today and the events of this past year . Hotard has enjoyed almost 9 decades of success and although 2020 was an unprecedented year and brought a lot of struggles it is not slowing them down for the long term . “ We are working every day to get our drivers back behind the wheel and our motorcoaches on the road . I loved seeing them on the road prior to 2020 , but now I have an entirely new appreciation , one that will bring a smile to my face for many years to come .”
LOUISIANA
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