I spent a few hours yesterday in Phoenx with Mike Pendergraft, President of the National Valet Parking Association. I am preparing an article about the group for August PT. It seems to me that they have a lot to offer.
They have nearly 30 members which isn’t bad for a group about which few have heard, but Mike says that their anonymity is going to come to an end, and this interview is the first step.
Look for big things from the NVPA
Mike is an entrepreneurial legend in the industry. Starting with a single location, he has built his company to over 80 locations and 500 employees. He has done it with hard work and keeping to his credo:
"I don’t have to sell it, I have to do it."
Mike and the NVPA are touting the concept that valet parking operations need to be legitimate companies with standards, training, customer service, security of their customers’ property, and to level the playing field, adhere to all federal and state hiring practices, tax, and wage and hour laws.
You will be hearing a lot about the NVPA in the upcoming months. If you are in the valet business, this group is a way to increase your company’s positive PR and the industry’s, too.
JVH
Oh, yes, Mike can use a driver, (on the golf course) as well as any,
2 Responses
John, Quality guy? Credit to valet good PR? Have you done any homework at all? American Valet (what did you say about adherance to state and fed wage and hour laws?)has been cited and fined not once, not twice, not three times but 4 times in 1993, 1998, 2004 and 2005 for violations by the U.S. Dept of Labor (go ahead and google it). The fines ranged from $67,000 to $79,000 for each year. Mind you, these were fines, not the money he apparently owed the employees filing charges for paying below minimum wage, illegal deductions and willful non-compliance. Exactly what valet company would this be a credit to?
Mr. Pendergraft doesn’t treat his employees with much respect or does he apparently respect the law. Most importantly, he does not seem to learn from his past mistakes. Now he wants to import this brand of doing business to Northern California. I would appreciate your thoughts on this.
There are in all situations, two sides to every story. However, I will leave it to Mike to defend himself if he feels he needs to. I will comment, however, that the blog was about the NVPA, not about Mike’s company.
People work long and hard to form associations and try to bring a tad of professionalism to our business. These groups help to do away with the very problems Norm notes above.
JVH