Bloggers across the Internet are filling their columns with “Year in Review”. Why? Well its the Christmas/New Year’s break and virtually nothing of note is going on. So you have to fill the blog with something. Even our Parknews editor Astrid is complaining that there aren’t enough things going on to fill her web site. I went back over the past year’s issues of PT and picked up a few notable stories from the parking world. Here Goes:
3M Closes Parking Division. What was Federal APD is no more. All the parking wags say they weren’t surprised, but then, they said nothing until the closure was announced.
$81K per space garage built in Santa Monica. The city parking manager says it was his legacy. He is no longer parking manager in Santa Monica.
Parking is a $100 Billion industry world wide. Those cigar boxes filled with quarters won’t hack it any more.
T2 acquires and acquires Oh yes, Mike is Back as CEO. The software company bought Digital Payment and Case, and brought retired CEO Mike Simmons back to head the firm.
PCI and Chip and Pin Make Headlines. Changes are ahead if you take credit cards, and that means just about everyone.
CHANCE Management Advisers Celebrates 30 years. Barbara was 14 when she founded the company.
Flash in the Pan — Monkey Parking. The idea of auctioning off an on street space was dead on arrival, at least as far as city governments were concerned.
VC Funding hits Parking Over $150 million goes into parking companies. Strangely enough, they were all high tech/app companies. Can you say Streetline ($50 million) and Park whiz, Parkme, Spot Hero, Parking Panda, Just Park, Quick Pay, Pango, Park Mobile, and the list goes on.
Transitions:
Jim Berry, founder of Republic Parking
John Manno, Sr, Founder of Southland Printing
Jim Bond, Longtime Executive at Central Parking
Rest in Peace
Chuck Cullin, Pierre Koudelka, Bob Furniss, and Larry Donahue Retired. Will it stick this time, Larry?
And at Parking Today:
We Launched a new annual magazine, Parking Technology Today
Our New Web Site, Parknews.biz is getting more than 2000 page views a week
The Parking Industry Exhibition had its largest and best attended show evah
The June issue was turned over to the Women in Parking Organization and saw all editorial provided by their membership. It was a keeper.
Paul Manning Finished one case, his wife handled another, and their company is now fighting terrorism in Beverly Hills.
What will we do in 2015? My board says its time to grow and solidify the changes. But I have a few ideas…
You can go on line and review all the parking news at www.parknews.biz or read the past year’s Parking Today at parkingtoday.com. Apologies to major parking news stories I missed in the list above.
As for predictions for 2015, I don’t have a clue.
Happy and Prosperous New Year to all
JVH
One Response
3M and FAPD – I had not heard about that. I strongly considered going to work for them at one time, lot of good people were involved in that organization, through the years.