(Nashville, TN – April 13, 2010) – When big-name entertainers go on tour in North America, they almost always travel by motorcoach. Converted Prevost coaches have carried all kinds of performers and VIPs since the company pioneered the Motorcoach Conversion market in 1978.
So it was only natural that Prevost would want to lend its support to a new driving school that will train those individuals aspiring to take the driver’s seat in an entertainer coach. The Celebrity Bus Drivers Academy (www.huffman-rice.com), founded by Chip Huffman and Tandy Rice, will offer its first session in early June in Nashville, Tennessee. Nashville, which happens to be the hub of the North American entertainment transportation industry, is also home to a 58,000 square foot Prevost Service Facility.
The inaugural Academy course will be held at the Nashville facility, with instruction provided by Prevost training technicians, technicians from the coach conversion industry and professionals from the entertainer coach leasing business, including veteran drivers, leasing agents, and owners. A pre-conversion Prevost coach and a converted Prevost entertainer coach will be on hand to help students become familiar with the vehicles they may someday be driving.
Chip Huffman, founder and co-owner of the Celebrity Bus Drivers Academy, stresses, “The music industry has reacted to the fundamental changes in the business by putting a stronger emphasis on live entertainment. This has created a greater demand for entertainer transportation. The Academy is committed to providing the industry with highly trained drivers who know the unique requirements of this business.”
The Academy will also utilize the Top Billing Driver Placement Agency to qualify participants for elite, highly sought-after driving positions in the entertainment industry.
Steve Zeigler, Prevost’s Director, Business Development, sees the initiative as a valuable effort to help professionalize the industry. “By supporting the new school, Prevost will be helping to educate drivers at a critical time in their careers,” he said. “Becoming more familiar with our brand will better prepare them to work in the entertainment and VIP transportation industry, where Prevost coaches are widely used.”
Huffman has envisioned running such a school for two decades. As the former owner and founder of Nitetrain Coach, he recalls “constantly fielding calls from drivers who hoped to ‘drive for the stars.’ There’s an overwhelming interest in this market and a huge need for training. The Academy intends to answer that need, and we’re pleased to be working with Prevost to help prepare drivers for this vibrant industry.”
About Prevost:
Prevost is a leading manufacturer of premium intercity touring coaches and the world leader in the production of bus shells for high-end motorhome and specialty conversion. Owned by Volvo Bus Corporation, it has access to the financial strength, research capability and manufacturing expertise of the group. Volvo Bus Corporation is part of the Volvo Group, the world’s largest manufacturer of heavy-duty diesel engines. Prevost has its main manufacturing facilities in Sainte-Claire, Quebec, Canada and has seven Parts and Service Centers located in the United States and Canada. Visit www.prevostcar.com for more information.
