Business Briefs

Concorde Limousine Inc., a professional worldwide transportation provider located in Freehold, recently celebrated its 25th anniversary.

The company began in 1984 with founder Robert Bellagamba and one stretch limousine. Today, Concorde Limousine has a fleet of 70 sedans, limousines, sport utility vehicles, vans, and luxury minibuses and over 100 employees. The company’s Freehold facility offers a meeting and conference department, a multimedia room for chauffeur training, and an online reservation system.

During the initial design stages of the facility, Bellagamba made a commitment to being environmentally friendly. Concorde’s garage is heated with used motor oil and transmission fluid. Instead of changing oil at 5,000 miles, Concorde reduces its oil consumption by 50 percent changing oil at 7,500 miles. Concorde’s HVAC application and all lighting were designed in conjunction with Jersey Central Power & Light’s New Jersey Smart Start Building Program and the company has reduced its paper consumption by 60 percent.

The company is also a participant in the Customer On-Site Renewable Energy (CORE) program and by 2009, it will install solar panels to generate over 63 percent of its annual power usage.

In an effort to provide clients with better service and the safest trip, Concorde has installed state-of-the-art DriveCam II video cameras in all vehicles. Concorde is also nationally recognized as a training center for the National Safety Council, and teaches a mandatory defensive driving course to each employee.

The New Jersey Restaurant Association (NJRA) is offering state-mandated training classes for the hospitality industry, free to current and new restaurant members until April 2009.

The ServSafe training being offered by the NJRA fulfills state requirements of mandatory food safety training for each establishment. The training seminars, made possible by a grant from the New Jersey Department of Labor Office of Customized Training, are held at a variety of NJRA member establishments.

Mandatory food safety training covers key principals such as cleanliness, hand-washing, cross contamination, temperature and holding controls protecting against food-borne illnesses and allergic reactions. This training, recognized by the state’s Department of Health, will help to reduce liability and minimize insurance costs.

The dates and locations of training seminars are updated daily and available at www.njra.org.

The 17 Jersey Mike’s Subs stores in Monmouth and Ocean counties recently donated $10,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Monmouth County (BBBS), Eatontown. Presenting a check to Barry Weshnak, president of BBBS, was store owner Jim Van Nostrand. Big Brother Big Sister of Monmouth County is a one-to-one volunteer mentoring agency in Monmouth County. For more information on becoming a volunteer, call 732-544-2224.