Kim Grzywacz CIT Signature Transportation
kgrzywacz @ citbus . com I , Kim Grzywacz , never noticed motorcoaches on the road until I began dating John Grzywacz . What a world he opened up to me . As an elementary education teacher for 18 years , I never dreamed my life would go down this road . Two years into our marriage , I joined John at our company . I was going to work part time ( you know , less than 12 hours a day ) and from home .
Our company , located in the heart of Iowa , was created in 1988 . Beginning as a school bus operator serving the Ames Community School District , John grew and evolved over the years . Motorcoaches and transit buses have been added to the fleet and school buses subtracted . No longer do we provide school route service . Now , we provide private charter services .
We are proud to move groups of any size to their destinations locally , through the continental United States , and Canada . We love the challenge of moving 7,000 plus guests during their conferences , and delight in making student athletes feel special when we pull up to the curb and take them to their competitions . Spring break for us is about taking youth on unforgettable trips with their choirs / bands , and college students completing service trips across the country . And , speaking of student trips , we are thrilled to bring youth to Washington D . C . making history come to life . We are also honored every time we assist our military personnel getting where they need to be in order to serve our country .
While John has been involved for over 30 years , my full involvement began 8 years ago . It amazed me as my skills as a teacher became very relevant to this new position ( organization , record keeping , meet and greets , taking care of clients …) I grew from being a bookkeeper to running our sales department . I am proud to say that our sales grew 40 % and our passenger miles went up 120 % in this time . When my team wanted a new bus , John said we had to earn it . Earn it we did ! Growth is part of our mission to be an enhancement to the people , places , events and activities our clients graciously invite us to participate in .
John knew the importance of holding leadership positions in the community and industry organizations . He encouraged my growth within the industry , too . First , I joined the Motorcoach Marketing Council . My next step was to become involved in Women in Buses . I served as the Membership Chair , President , and am now completing my last year as Past President . During this time , I joined the American Bus Association Board of Directors . ( That path began when I accepted the position of Marketplace Chair for our 2019 Annual Meeting /
Marketplace . This is also where I took possession of the bus my team earned .) More locally , I now serve as the Vice President and Treasurer for the Iowa Group Travel Association . ( Iowa is GREAT , and people need to experience it !) I am proud to be on the inaugural board of directors for the Iowa Travel Industry Partners , as well . Through this industry , I have also met individuals with organizations that I hold close to my heart , and I serve on 2 other non-profit board of directors .
Over the past year , I have discovered just how important our relationship is with our elected officials . It is impossible for them to know everything they need without our assistance . I consider it my job to give the information needed . Here are some “ cold , hard facts ” ( some pre-COVID ) about CIT Signature Transportation :
• Fleet Size = 25 ( 13 motorcoaches , 6 transits , and other assorted small vehicles )
• Employees = 60 ( 20 full time )
• $ 3.5 million company
• Motorcoach Cost = $ 550,000 base price ($ 10,000 / month payments on a 5 year note )
• Insurance = $ 11,000 / year / vehicle
• License = $ 1,000 / vehicle As you can see , we are a capital intensive industry . Federal law dictates we must have a $ 5 million insurance policy . We have $ 10 million as many of our clients require this amount .
We are also a highly regulated industry . We embrace these regulations because of the safety-sensitive nature of our business . We move people . However , these regulations do come at a cost . On-board logging systems track our drivers every move to ensure they are staying within their legal hours of service limits . After the cost of this equipment , we must pay a monthly service fee per vehicle AND per driver . Inspections by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration , per legislative mandate , occur every two years . Recently , we also had the Iowa State DOT complete an inspection of our fleet .
3,000 companies nationwide , we serve our communities diligently and quietly . We are often unnoticed . I know . Remember , I was one that didn ’ t notice them before I met my husband . Now , when I see them on the road , I know the company , the owners , and many times employees . There is so much to these small , family owned businesses . I am proud to be one of a handful serving the state of Iowa . CIT Signature Transportation looks forward to continuing for generations to come .
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