TOM COLE: HI, I'M WELCOME TO FOUR CORNERS ON WGTE PUBLIC MEDIA, WHERE WE DISCUSS TOPICS AND ISSUES THAT DISCOVER OUR CONNECTIONS.

GET READY FOR AN OUTSTANDING SHOWS WE CONNECT YOU WITH THE MAIN MOVERS IN TRANSPORTATION.

WE HAVE THE HONOR OF SPEAKING TO SOME DISTINGUISHED GUESTS, AND GET TO SEE HOW THEIR INDUSTRIES INTERSECT TO FORM TOLEDO'S TRANSPORTATION HUB.

THANKS FOR JOINING US TODAY ON FOUR CORNERS.

(MUSIC) ANNOUNCER: THIS PRESENTATION WAS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY THE MANGO TREE RESTAURANT, AND BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

THANK YOU.

TOM COLE: HI TOM COLE FOR FOUR CORNERS AND CERTAINLY AN HONOR AND A PRIVILEGE FOR ME TO WELCOME IN THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER FOR A GREAT COMPANY IN OUR COMMUNITY.

BLACK AND WHITE CAB, CLARK GROSS.

CLARK, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH US TODAY.

CLARK GROSS: OH YOU ARE WELCOME, TOM, I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TOM COLE: GIVE ME GIVE THE FOLKS OUT THERE SOME OF THE THINGS YOU GAVE ME THE BLACK AND WHITE DOES.

CLARK GROSS: SO EVERYBODY KNOWS THE TAXIS BECAUSE THEY SEEM EVERYWHERE IN TOWN.

BUT I THINK A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE, BLACK AND WHITE HAS FOUR DIVISIONS.

SO THERE'S OUR TAXI DIVISION.

AND WE HAVE A DIVISION WE REFER TO AS OUR NON EMERGENCY MEDICAL TRANSPORTATION DIVISION, OR THE PT DIVISION.

AND WE HAVE A BLACK CAR PROGRAM.

AND WE OPERATE A RURAL TRANSIT PROGRAM IN THE CITY BOWLING GREEN CALLED BOWLING GREEN TRANSIT, WE OPERATE THAT ON BEHALF OF THE CITY.

THE OTHER THING I DON'T THINK PEOPLE REALIZE IS THAT PROBABLY 85% OF OUR BUSINESS IS ACCOUNT BASED.

AND SO WE WORK WITH PARTNERS THROUGHOUT NORTHWESTERN OHIO, AND HELP THEM TRANSPORT THEIR MEMBERS TO AND FROM NECESSARY APPOINTMENTS, WHETHER IT BE THIS NON EMERGENCY MEDICAL TRANSPORTATION THAT HE TALKED ABOUT.

SO THINGS LIKE DIALYSIS, CARDIAC REHABILITATION, CHEMOTHERAPY, DOCTOR APPOINTMENTS, PHARMACY STOPS, AND HELPING THEM GET TO THE GROCERY STORE OR TO CHURCH OR BACK AND FORTH TO WORK.

SO THOSE ARE TWO THINGS I DON'T THINK FOLKS REALLY UNDERSTAND ABOUT OR KNEW ABOUT BLACK AND WHITE TOM COLE: CLARK, YOU TALKED ABOUT NECESSARY SERVICES THAT YOU ARE DURING THE PANDEMIC, YOU WERE CLASSIFIED AS CERTAINLY VITAL AND NECESSARY SERVICE, YOU KNOW, HOW IMPORTANT IS IT FOR PEOPLE TO GET, YOU KNOW, WHO DON'T HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS THAT CAN TAKE THEM AROUND.

AND THAT'S A LOT OF FOLKS.

YOU KNOW, A LOT OF FOLKS ARE ON THEIR OWN, TO GET TO A DOCTOR TO GET TO THE GROCERY STORE TO GET TO WORK, AND AND YOU MAKE ALL OF THOSE THINGS POSSIBLE FOR FOLKS.

YOU ALLOW THEM TO LIVE THE BEST LIFE THAT THEY CAN LIVE.

SO IT'S AN INCREDIBLE SERVICE THAT YOU'RE PROVIDING, IN SOMETHING ELSE STRUCK ME THIS PANDEMIC.

I WANT TO ASK YOU HOW YOU GUYS FOUGHT THROUGH THAT, BECAUSE IT'S CHANGED BUSINESS FOR EVERYBODY.

I KNOW IT CHANGED IT FOR YOU.

BUT YOU GAVE ME A NOTE ABOUT YOU HAD TO LEARN HOW TO TRANSPORT COVID FOLKS KIND OF TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.

CLARK GROSS: SURE, I DON'T REMEMBER IF IT WAS THE END OF MAY OR APRIL, BUT THE COUNTY, LUCAS COUNTY CAME TO US AND SAID, HEY, WE'VE GOT A PROBLEM THAT COVID DOESN'T DISCRIMINATE.

THEY'RE HOMELESS PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT ARE COMING DOWN WITH COVID.

AND WE'VE GOT A PLAN IN PLACE TO HELP THEM GET THEM TREATMENT.

AND WE'VE GOT LOCATIONS WHERE THEY CAN QUARANTINE THEMSELVES FOR THE TWO WEEKS OR WHATEVER THE PERIOD WAS NECESSARY AND GET BETTER.

BUT WE NEED TO GET THEM THERE.

SO THEY ASKED IF WE'D BE WILLING TO TRANSPORT THESE COVID POSITIVE FOLKS.

AND WE SAID, WELL GIVE US SOME TIME TO DO OUR HOMEWORK AND AND THAT'S WHAT WE DID.

WE LEARNED HOW TO TRANSPORT A POSITIVE OR PRESUMPTIVE POSITIVE INDIVIDUAL AND DO IT SAFELY.

ONE OF THE I MEAN, IT PROBABLY GOES WITHOUT SAYING THAT SAFETY IS OUR PRIMARY GOAL AT BLACK AND WHITE SAFETY OF OUR EMPLOYEES AS WELL AS THE FOLKS THAT WE TRANSPORT.

SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE COULD DO IT IN THE RIGHT WAY TO KEEP OUR EMPLOYEES SAFE.

AND SO WE'VE WE'VE DONE HUNDREDS OF TRIPS, NOT JUST FOR LUCAS COUNTY.

I MEAN, AFTER WE STARTED WITH LUCAS COUNTY, OTHER ACCOUNTS APPROACHED US AND ASKED IF WE COULD DO THE SAME THING, JUST LIKE THE REST OF THE COUNTRY.

WE ALL WERE LEARNING ABOUT COVID TOGETHER.

YES.

AND SO WE YOU KNOW, WE TALKED WITH OUR EMPLOYEES, WE TALKED WITH OUR CUSTOMERS TO FIGURE OUT YOU KNOW WHAT WAS IMPORTANT TO THEM.

OBVIOUSLY, WE LISTENED TO WHAT THE GOVERNOR WAS SAYING ABOUT WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO TO KEEP EVERYBODY SAFE AND THE CDC, AND, YOU KNOW, LISTENING TO EVERYBODY, WE PUT THOSE ACTION ITEMS IN PLACE LIKE PLASTIC SEPARATORS, BETWEEN DRIVER COMPARTMENTS AND PASSENGER COMPARTMENTS, MAKING SURE THAT EVERYBODY WAS MASKED UP THAT WE HAD CLEANING AND DISINFECTING SUPPLIES IN EACH OF OUR VEHICLES.

AND, YOU KNOW, THE LIST GOES ON.

SO... TOM COLE: CLARK AS THE AS WE'RE VACCINATING OUR WAY OUT OF THIS.

ARE YOU SEEING AN UPTURN NOW IN THE CALLS IS THAT IS THE BUSINESS STARTING TO MOVE UP IN THAT DIRECTION NOW, CLARK GROSS: THINGS HAVE PICKED UP.

WE'RE, I THINK WE'RE REALLY CLOSE TO THE LEVELS WHERE WE WERE PRE COVID.

CLOSE, WE WEREN'T THERE YET.

BUT WE DO GET THE SENSE THAT PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO FEEL A BIT MORE COMFORTABLE GETTING BACK TO NORMAL, WHATEVER NORMAL WAS, TOM COLE: CLARK, I GOTTA TELL YOU, I WANT TO THANK THANK YOU AND ALL OF YOUR STAFF AT BLACK AND WHITE, FOR THE INCREDIBLE ESSENTIAL SERVICES THAT YOU ARE PROVIDING IN OUR COMMUNITY EVERY DAY, AND ESPECIALLY TO ME A HERO TAG DURING THIS PANDEMIC, TO BE ABLE TO TRANSPORT COVID PATIENTS TO AND FROM TREATMENT, MEDICAL, MEDICAL EMERGENCIES AND DIRE SITUATIONS THAT PEOPLE HAVE TO GET A TREATMENT FOR.

SO WE CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR WHAT BLACK AND WHITE IS DOING.

AND THANK YOU FOR BEING A PART OF OUR TRANSPORTATION SHOW TODAY.

MARC MAGLIARI: WELL, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TIME, REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

TOM COLE: TAKE CARE CLARK.

CLARK GROSS: YOU AS WELL, SIR.

TOM COLE: TOM COLE AGAIN FOR FOUR CORNERS AND CERTAINLY AN HONOR AND A PRIVILEGE TO WELCOME IN A VERY TALENTED YOUNG MAN, MARC MAGLIARI, WHO IS THE SPOKESPERSON IN THE STATE OF OHIO FOR AMTRAK.

AND, MARC.

I DON'T HAVE TO TELL YOU THIS HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, A DIFFICULT TIME WITH THE THE PANDEMIC.

WHAT HAVE YOU GONE THROUGH AND YOUR FOLKS HAVE GONE THROUGH BECAUSE YOU PROVIDE AN ESSENTIAL SERVICE, IT'S A VITAL SERVICE FOR CITIZENS THROUGHOUT OUR COUNTRY ON AMTRAK.

BUT HOW TOUGH WAS IT?

GIVE US A FEEL FOR HOW TOUGH IT WAS.

MARC MAGLIARI: WELL, ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS OUR PRESIDENT AND OUR CEO SAY WHEN THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS IS TO THANK OUR PEOPLE, THE FRONTLINE WORKERS WHO, ESPECIALLY WHEN THINGS EARLY ON THE MARCH, APRIL, MAY OF LAST YEAR, WERE SO WHAT IS SAFE, WHAT ISN'T SAFE?

WHAT DO YOU DO?

WHAT DO YOU NOT DO, HOW THEY STEPPED UP AND KEPT THE SERVICE RUNNING.

AND WE DIDN'T REALLY MAKE ANY SIGNIFICANT SERVICE CHANGES, ESPECIALLY IN YOUR TOLEDO AREA.

DURING ALL THAT TIME WHERE PEOPLE CAME TO WORK, THEY FACE THE PUBLIC, THEY WORKED WITH WHATEVER THE RULES WERE IN THE RULES WERE SHIFTING A BIT.

TOM COLE: THEY'RE COMING TO WORK, THEY'RE DOING A JOB, THEY'RE PROVIDING A SERVICE, AND PUTTING THEMSELVES YOU KNOW, LET'S FACE FACTS AND PUTTING THEIR YOU KNOW, BEFORE THE VACCINATION, THEY'RE PUTTING THEMSELVES AT RISK.

THAT IS THAT IS HEROISM AND IN ITS FINEST FORM.

MARC MAGLIARI: WHETHER YOU WERE DELIVERING PACKAGES OR WORKING AT A CONVENIENCE STORE OR, OR OUT HERE IN PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, A LOT OF PEOPLE STEPPED UP AND IN SOME PEOPLE SUFFERED FOR IT.

TOM COLE: GIVE ME TWO THINGS.

YOU THINK, BOY, THIS, THESE WERE TOUGH TO OVERCOME.

MARC MAGLIARI: BUT IT WAS A CHANCE FOR US TO DEVELOP A NEW STANDARD FOR WHAT CLEANLINESS IS SUPPOSED TO BE.

WE WERE ALREADY CLEANING THE TRAINS AND YEAH, COMING AND WIPING THINGS DOWN.

BUT BUT WE AMPED THAT UP.

AND WE WERE ABLE TO FORM PARTNERSHIPS IN SOME TIME WITH WITH RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES, AND WITH THE FOLKS WHO MAKE LYSOL TO HELP US MAINTAIN SUPPLIES AND GIVE US ADVICE.

SO SO THAT WAS ONE CHALLENGE AND THE CHALLENGES, LETTING PEOPLE KNOW WHAT OUR SERVICE LEVELS WERE BECAUSE SERVICE LEVELS DID CHANGE.

NORTH OF YOU IN MICHIGAN, WE SUSPENDED A FAIR AMOUNT OF SERVICE, WHICH IS STARTING TO COME BACK.

AND IN TOLEDO INSTEAD OF DOING TWO DAILY TRAINS, A ONE HEADED TO WASHINGTON, THE OTHER ONE HAD TO NEW YORK AND BOSTON, WE CUT THAT DOWN TO ONLY THREE DAYS A WEEK STARTING IN OCTOBER, BECAUSE CONGRESS DIDN'T GIVE US THE MONEY TO CONTINUE THOSE DAILY SERVICES.

NOW, CONGRESS HAS GIVEN US THE MONEY TO TO RETURN THOSE TO DAILY SO NOW STARTING THE WEEK OF THE 23RD, WHICH IS RIGHT ABOUT WHERE WE ARE.

WE'RE GOING TO BE RUNNING DAILY TRAINS TO AND FROM TOLEDO GOING TO CLEVELAND AND TO THE EAST COAST AND COMING OVER HERE TO CHICAGO AND MANAGING THROUGH THE COMMUNICATIONS TO CUSTOMERS ABOUT WHAT'S RUNNING, WHAT'S NOT.

WHEN IS IT RUNNING?

HOW IS IT RUNNING WAS A BIG COMMUNICATIONS ISSUE FOR US, THANK GOODNESS WE'D ALREADY INVESTED IN NOT IN SOCIAL MEDIA, OR WE WOULD HAVE HAD FEWER CHANNELS TO COMMUNICATE WITH.

TOM COLE: THERE'S SOMETHING SO AMERICAN AND STATICALLY VISUAL AND ALMOST A ROMANCE WITH TRAIN TRAVEL IN A WAY.

IT'S RELAXING.

YOU KNOW, YOU CAN LOOK OUT THE WINDOW, YOU RIDE THE RAILS, IT'S YOU NOW HAVE THE TRAFFIC THING GOING ON.

IT'S A VERY COOL THING.

IF YOU'VE EVER RIDEN TRAINS EVER RIDEN AMTRAK AND GONE SOMEPLACE, IT'S A VERY COOL THING.

MARC MAGLIARI: WELL, I'LL TELL YOU THAT AS AN EMPLOYEE, YOU I'M LIMITED WHAT ROMANCE I CAN HAVE ON THE RAIL.

SO OKAY.

WE HAVE RULES ABOUT FRATERNIZATION.

SO, MY ONLY ROMANCE HAS BEEN WHEN I'VE TAKEN A SIGNIFICANT OTHER WITH ME ON THE TRIP.

BUT BUT TO YOUR POINT, YEAH, IT'S THE RAILROADS HAVE BUILT THE WEST.

YEAH, THERE WAS A RACE TO GET TO TOLEDO THAN A RACE TO GET OVER THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.

CHICAGO AND ST. LOUIS, WERE BATTLING IS A NATIONAL ROUTE GOING TO COME THROUGH HERE, ST. LOUIS BET ON RIVER BOATS, WHICH WERE GREAT.

AND SOMEONE WHO GREW UP ON A RIVER TOWN.

I LIKE THAT.

BUT THE FACT IS CHICAGO BELT BET ON TRAINS.

AND CHICAGO IS A HECK OF A LOT BIGGER THAN THAN ST. LOUIS IS TODAY.

AND NEARLY ALL OF THE WEST, AT LEAST FROM HERE TO THE ROCKIES WAS SETTLED BECAUSE OF THE RAILROADS AND SOME OF THE RAILROADS, SOME OF THE TOWNS ARE NAMED AFTER RAILROAD OFFICIALS OUT THERE BECAUSE THEY HAD TO COME UP WITH SOME NAME FAST.

SURE.

SO THE RAILS BUILT THE WESTERN PART OF THE US BASICALLY EVERYTHING FROM TOLEDO TO THE ROCKIES.

AND WE HAVE WE CARRY THAT TORCH FOR PASSENGER RAIL, AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO BUILD THIS TO 32 MILLION CUSTOMERS, PRE-PANDEMIC.

IT'S GONNA BE A WHILE BEFORE WE GET BACK TO THAT NUMBER, BUT WE'RE GOING TO WORK TO GET BACK TO THAT NUMBER.

TOM COLE: WELL, MARK, THAT WAS MY LAST QUESTION ON THE WAY OUT AND YOU'VE BEEN FANTASTIC.

WE, SIR, APPRECIATE THE INFORMATION.

HOW LONG BEFORE AMTRAK IS BACK?

DO YOU THINK CUZ WE'RE VACCINATING OUR WAY OUT OF THIS.

WE'RE GONNA GET OUT OF THIS.

BUT HOW LONG BEFORE YOU THINK THEY'RE BACK TO WHAT WOULD BE A FULL REGULAR SCHEDULE?

MARC MAGLIARI: WELL, WE'LL BE BACK TO REGULAR SCHEDULE HERE IN MAY, ON THE OVERNIGHT TRAINS THAT GO THROUGH TOLEDO.

LATER THIS SUMMER.

WE'LL BE BACK TO ALMOST A REGULAR SCHEDULE UP IN MICHIGAN.

BUT THE TRAINS HAVE COME ACROSS FROM PONTIAC AND DETROIT TO CHICAGO.

BUT WE DON'T THINK WE'RE GOING TO GET THE PASSENGER VOLUMES WE HAD IN 2019.

CERTAINLY HERE IN 2021.

MAYBE NOT UNTIL LATE 2022 OR 2023.

IT REALLY DEPENDS ON ON BUSINESS TRAVEL, WHICH IS A LOT OF WHAT WE DO.

IT DEPENDS ON WHAT THE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES DO IN TERMS OF BRINGING THEIR STUDENTS BACK FULL TIME OR NOT.

YES, IT DEPENDS ON PEOPLE'S COMFORT LEVELS, TOO.

BUT I THINK WE'RE GONNA GET THERE.

IT'S JUST NOT GOING TO BE TOMORROW OR THE NEXT TOMORROW.

TOM COLE: MARK, WE ARE HONORED TO HAVE YOU ON OUR TRANSPORTATION SHOW.

YOU WERE FANTASTIC.

THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH US ON FOUR CORNERS.

MARC MAGLIARI: THANKS FOR HAVING ME PUT A TIE ON IT WASN'T YOUR REQUIRED BUT BUT OH YEAH.

WHEN YOU HAVE A GOOD LOOKING HOST, YOU'RE REALLY GOT AS THE GUEST TRIED TO EMULATE.

TOM COLE: YOU MADE ME LOOK BAD.

YOU GET THE GREAT TIE, YOU GET THE BROADCAST PIPES.

YOU ARE SENSATIONAL.

THANKS, MARK.

MARC MAGLIARI: THANKS.

TAKE CARE.

TOM COLE: TAKE CARE.

TOM COLE FOR FOUR CORNERS IS CERTAINLY AN HONOR PRIVILEGE TO WELCOME IN A VERY TALENTED MAN IN OUR COMMUNITY.

MR. JOE CAPELL, WHO'S THE VICE PRESIDENT OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT FOR THE PORT AUTHORITY.

JOE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY.

JOE CAPELL: THANK YOU, TOM.

IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE WITH YOU.

TOM COLE: TWO THINGS, FIRST OF ALL, JOE, TALK TO HOW DID THE PANDEMIC AFFECT YOUR OPERATION THERE BECAUSE IT'S AFFECTED EVERYTHING.

AND I'M SURE IT DID TALK A LITTLE BIT TO THAT.

JOE CAPELL: WHAT WE'VE SEEN DURING THE PANDEMIC, AND IN WHAT AIRPORTS EXPERIENCED ACROSS THE COUNTRY WAS JUST A DRAMATIC DECLINE.

ABOUT ONE YEAR AGO, IN 2019.

AROUND THIS TIME, MARCH, APRIL, MAY, THERE WAS VIRTUALLY NO NO AIR TRAVEL AT ALL.

AND THEN GRADUALLY OVER THE COURSE OF 2020, WE SAW PASSENGERS COME BACK, BUT WHAT THEY WERE COMING BACK FOR WAS, WAS LEISURE TRAVEL PRIMARILY, BUSINESS TRAVEL, EVEN EVEN NOW IS PRETTY INSIGNIFICANT.

BUT THEY TRACK THIS ON A NATIONWIDE BASIS.

OVER A MILLION PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES ARE FLYING THAT WAS KIND OF THE THRESHOLD THAT WE MEASURED THINGS BY OVER A MILLION PEOPLE ARE BACK IN THE AIR EVERY DAY.

AND WE'VE SEEN OUR NUMBERS AT TOLEDO EXPRESS CREEP UP PROPORTIONATELY WITH THE NATIONAL TREND.

SO RIGHT NOW, A LOT OF LEISURE TRAFFIC.

ALLEGIANT HAS DONE VERY WELL.

THEY DID WELL DURING SPRING BREAK.

AND PEOPLE ARE USING THAT CHARLOTTE ROUTE TO GET DOWN TO FLORIDA AND COASTAL DESTINATIONS FOR VACATIONS.

WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO CONTINUE TO DO SO.

REALLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THOUGH IS THE RETURN OF THAT BUSINESS TRAVELER THROUGH TOLEDO EXPRESS.

AND AGAIN, THAT WILL THAT WILL HELP BOLSTER OUR NUMBERS WHEN PEOPLE ARE AGAIN FLYING FOR FOR BUSINESS TRAVEL TOM COLE: MOVING FORWARD WITH THE AIRPORT ARE THERE THINGS THAT YOU'RE AT LIBERTY TO TALK ABOUT THAT ARE POSSIBLY ON THE HORIZON OF NEW FLIGHTS OR NEW THINGS?

JOE CAPELL: YEAH, THERE'S A LOT OF EXCITING DEVELOPMENTS AND THINGS TO LOOK FORWARD TO.

ONE IS THE RENAMING OF DEDICATION CEREMONY OF OUR AIRPORT IN HONOR OF EUGENE F. KRANTZ, WHO WAS, OF COURSE, WITH NASA YES PROGRAM FOR MANY YEARS.

SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.

YOU KNOW, PRIOR TO COVID, WE HAD ABOUT SEVEN CONSECUTIVE YEARS OF PASSENGER GROWTH AT TOLEDO EXPRESS.

SO, YOU KNOW, IT WASN'T HUGE, HUGE NUMBERS.

BUT EVERY YEAR, IF YOU CAN BUILD UPON YOUR SUCCESS, SOONER OR LATER, YOU'RE DOING QUITE WELL.

SO WE HOPE TO KIND OF PICK THAT TREND BACK UP AGAIN.

YOU KNOW, MANY PEOPLE MAY NOT REALIZE THAT, THROUGH THAT CHARLOTTE, AND THROUGH THAT CHICAGO HUB, YOU CAN REACH, YOU KNOW, OVER 200 DESTINATIONS, JUST ONE STOP AWAY.

SO WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO BUILD ON THAT.

ONE THING THAT WE ARE PURSUING IS A DALLAS FORT WORTH FLIGHT.

THROUGH AMERICAN AIRLINES IN DALLAS, FORT WORTH IS A IS A BIG HUB FOR AMERICAN ONE OF THE LARGEST, IF NOT THE LARGEST HUB THAT THEY HAVE.

AND IT'S A GROWING AREA, THERE'S A LOT OF BUSINESS CONNECTIONS BETWEEN TOLEDO AND THAT AREA OF TEXAS.

SO PEOPLE COULD HAVE DIRECT FLIGHTS TO DALLAS FORT WORTH.

AND THEN IF THEY WANTED TO CONTINUE ON AND TRAVEL WEST FROM THERE, THEY WOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO THROUGH THROUGH CONNECTIONS.

SO THE PORT AUTHORITY DID APPLY FOR A SMALL COMMUNITY AIR SERVICE DEVELOPMENT GRANT.

AND IF WE'RE SUCCESSFUL, AND WE SHOULD KNOW, IN THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS, THAT WILL HELP US TO ATTRACT THAT DALLAS, FORT WORTH SERVICE.

IN ADDITION TO AMERICAN, WE'RE ALWAYS TALKING TO ALLEGIANT ABOUT NEW DESTINATIONS, LOOKING AT PLACES LIKE LAS VEGAS AND PHOENIX AND OTHER PLACES TO CONTINUE TO BUILD ON THAT DEMAND AND CAPTURE THAT DEMAND FOR LEISURE TRAVEL.

AND WE'RE TALKING TO OTHER LOW COST CARRIERS AS WELL, AND LETTING THEM KNOW ABOUT THE TOLEDO MARKETPLACE.

SO ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS, TOM IS THAT IF WE WANT MORE OF THESE FLIGHTS, WE HAVE TO REALLY UTILIZE THE EXISTING FLIGHTS THAT WE HAVE.

AND AND WE HOPE TO GET BACK TO THAT POINT AGAIN HERE.

AS THINGS CONTINUE TO IMPROVE WITH THE COVID SITUATION.

TOM COLE: CAN YOU GIVE US A LITTLE FEEL FOR THE PORT ACTIVITY, THE SHIPPING?

JOE CAPELL: WELL, SHIPPING IS SO IMPORTANT TO OUR REGION.

AND JUST TO TOUCH ON SHIPPING PORT A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, WE LAUNCHED A NEW AMAZON GATEWAY FOR E-COMMERCE AND AIR CARGO ACTIVITY OUT IN TOLEDO EXPRESS.

SO WE'VE SEEN CARGO GROWTH AT THE AIRPORT.

AND AT OUR SEA PORT IS WELL, DESPITE THE PANDEMIC IN 2020, AS YOU MENTIONED, WE WERE ONLY OFF ABOUT 2%.

BUT WE STILL SHIPPED OVER 9 MILLION TONNES OF CARGO THROUGH THE PORT OF TOLEDO.

AND THAT COMES ON INTERNATIONAL VESSELS COMING ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE ST. LAWRENCE SEAWAY THAT COMES ON LAKE TRADING VESSELS THAT TRADE WITH OTHER US PORTS AND CANADIAN PORTS, AND JUST A PLETHORA OF ACTIVITY.

THE GRAIN FARMERS HAD A GOOD HARVEST LAST YEAR.

SO WE SAW ROBUST GRAIN EXPORTS CORN, WHEAT AND SOYBEANS.

WE'RE SEEING UNPRECEDENTED VOLUMES OF ALUMINUM COMING TO THE PORT OF TOLEDO.

AND AT THE SAME TIME, OUR PORT AUTHORITY IS WORKING WITH OUR TERMINAL OPERATORS TO CONTINUE TO INVEST AND IMPROVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE AT THE PORT OF TOLEDO SO THAT WE'RE READY FOR ANY OPPORTUNITY.

AND THAT WE'RE HAVE A MODERN TERMINALS THAT ARE EFFICIENT IN CARGO HANDLING.

SO JUST LAST WEEK, WE RECEIVED A BRAND NEW MOBILE HARBOR CRANE THAT WILL REALLY HELP US MOVING FORWARD TO BECOME MORE EFFICIENT AND BE ABLE TO LOAD SHIPS EVEN EVEN FASTER THAN WE CAN TODAY.

TOM COLE: IT WAS SO GREAT TO HAVE YOU ON WE'LL HAVE TO DO THIS AGAIN.

SUCH A KNOWLEDGEABLE MAN.

AND HEY, LET'S FACE IT.

TOLEDO IS A VIABLE COMMUNITY ON THE MOVE, ESPECIALLY AS FAR AS TRANSPORTATION IS CONCERNED.

THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH US ON FOUR CORNERS.

JOE.

JOE CAPELL: THANK YOU, TOM.

HAVE A GREAT ONE.

TOM COLE: YOU ALSO.

IT TRULY IS AN HONOR FOR ME TO WELCOME INTO FOUR CORNERS RIGHT NOW.

MR. STEVE TAYLOR.

YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE OUTSTANDING CAR DEALERS IN THE COUNTRY.

WITHOUT DOUBT, CERTAINLY IN THE STATE OF OHIO AND OUR TOLEDO AREA, ALONG WITH STEVE'S DAD, MR. TAYLOR.

STEVE IS SO GREAT TO HAVE YOU ON FOUR CORNERS.

WELCOME.

STEVE TAYLOR: THANK YOU FOR THE INVITE.

I'M GLAD TO BE HERE, TOM.

TOM COLE: YEAH, WE'RE GREAT.

WE'RE THRILLED THAT YOU'RE HERE.

AND THE THEME OF TODAY'S SHOW, STEVE WAS TRANSPORTATION.

GIVE US YOUR FEEL OF THE CAR TRANSPORTATION BUSINESS COMING THROUGH THE PANDEMIC?

STEVE TAYLOR: SURE.

WELL, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE SO MANY QUESTIONS.

AND I THINK THAT WAS THE MAJOR CONCERN WITH NOT ONLY MYSELF AND OUR TEAM, BUT REALLY EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY IS WHERE WHERE ARE WE GOING WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN HERE AND YOU KNOW, I THINK BACK TO A YEAR AGO IN MARCH, YOU KNOW, THOSE LAST TWO WEEKS OF MARCH.

YOU KNOW, IT WAS FRIGHTENING FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE IN OURSELVES INCLUDED.

YOU KNOW, GOVERNOR DEWINE I THINK DID A FANTASTIC JOB OF TRYING TO KEEP PEOPLE UP TO AND THAT WAS THE ONE THING THAT I THINK IF I COULD LEARN AND GO BACK IN TIME, I THINK I WOULD HAVE DONE A BETTER JOB OF COMMUNICATING WITH OUR TEAM ON A MORE CONSISTENT BASIS, ESPECIALLY IN THE BEGINNING.

AND I LEARNED THAT PRETTY QUICK THAT, HEY, PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW UPDATES, AND WHETHER THERE'S GOOD NEWS OR BAD NEWS, PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW, THEY WANT TO BE INFORMED.

BUT YOU KNOW, THE BIG QUESTION, I THINK, IN OUR INDUSTRY WAS, WHERE ARE WE GOING TO BE DEEMED ESSENTIAL?

YOU KNOW, WHERE ARE WE GOING TO BE AS AN ESSENTIAL BUSINESS THAT WAS ABLE TO REMAIN OPEN.

AND, YOU KNOW, OUR NEIGHBORS TO THE NORTH MICHIGAN DEALERS WERE SHUT DOWN, I BELIEVE PENNSYLVANIA DEALERS.

YOU KNOW, THERE WERE A LOT OF DEALERS THAT WERE NOT OPEN DURING THE PANDEMIC, BUT THE WAY THAT THAT WE SOUGHT FROM GOVERNOR DEWINE.

AND WHAT THE STATE OF OHIO DID WAS THEY THOUGHT THE DEALERS SHOULD BE REMAIN OPEN, NOT JUST ON THE SERVICE SIDE, BUT THE SALES SIDE.

BECAUSE REALLY, WHEN YOU GO DOWN TO AND YOU LOOK AT IT, CAR DEALERS ARE AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THE COMMUNITY AND HELPING PEOPLE YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MANY LEASES COME DUE EVERY SINGLE DAY.

THAT'S SOMETHING THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE JUST DON'T THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE THAT HAVE TO TURN THEIR CAR IN ON ON A DAILY BASIS.

YOU ALSO DON'T THINK ABOUT HOW MANY CARS BREAK DOWN ON A DAILY BASIS.

THAT'S UNFORTUNATELY, IT'S A HIGH NUMBER, BUT HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE TRANSPORTATION NEEDS WHERE THEY NEED TO REPLACE THAT CAR?

AND AND THEN THE OTHER THING IS, HOW MANY TOTAL WRECKS ARE THERE?

YOU KNOW, THERE'S COLLISIONS HAPPENING EVERY SINGLE DAY?

AND HOW MANY TIMES ARE THESE CARS TOTALED OUT?

SO WE JUST LOOKED AT THOSE THREE AREAS TO AND SAID, WOW, WHEN YOU START LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS, IT'S STAGGERING HOW MANY PEOPLE REALLY DID NEED TO COME IN TO MAKE SURE THEY WERE, YOU KNOW, ABLE TO GO TO WORK, ESPECIALLY THOSE FRONTLINE WORKERS.

AND I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY PEOPLE WE HELPED DURING THE PANDEMIC, ESPECIALLY EARLY ON, THAT NEEDED TO GET YOU KNOW, A NEW CAR USED CAR REPLACED THEIR OLD CAR, AND THEY NEEDED TO CONTINUE TO GO TO WORK, YOU KNOW, WHETHER THEY WERE FRONTLINE WORKERS OR THEY WERE ALSO ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES.

SO THAT THAT WAS ONE WAY THAT WE I THINK WE'RE INVOLVED EARLY ON IN THE PANDEMIC.

BUT THE THE WHOLE IDEA WHEN IT FIRST HAPPENED, HOW LONG IS THIS GONNA LAST?

THAT WAS ANOTHER CONCERN, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY WHERE YOU LOOK AT CAR DEALERS, AND YOU LOOK AT INVENTORY LEVELS AND STOCKING LEVELS.

AND OH, MY GOSH, DO WE NEED TO PUT A HALT ON CARS?

YOU KNOW, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN?

AND IT'S GOING TO TAKE PLACE FOR YEARS AND YEARS?

OR IS IT MONTHS?

OR IS IT DAYS?

IS IT WEEKS?

SO WHAT DO WE DO WITH OUR INVENTORY?

DO WE TELL THE FACTORIES TO HOLD OFF ON SENDING US CARS?

DO WE SLOW UP ON GOING AND ACQUIRING US VEHICLES?

SO THERE WERE NO DOUBT TOM, A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND YOU SAW FIRSTHAND TO WHAT WE WENT THROUGH.

AND LIKE YOU SAID, WE HAD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DIDN'T PANIC, YOU KNOW THAT WE DIDN'T COME AT THIS WITH DIFFERENT DIFFERENT LEVELS AND DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WEREN'T THE RIGHT WAY.

AND NO ONE REALLY KNEW WHAT THE RIGHT WAY WAS.

BUT LIKE YOU SAID, WE TRIED TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE TEAM.

WE TRIED TO BE THERE, WE TRIED TO HAVE A CONSISTENT MESSAGE THAT WE WERE THERE FOR EACH OTHER.

WE TRIED TO KEEP EVERYBODY ON STAFF.

AND ULTIMATELY, I THINK A LOT OF CAR DEALERS PROSPERED.

DURING THE COVID TIMES, YOU KNOW, THE SALES WERE THERE, WE WERE ABLE TO STAY OPEN, PEOPLE NEEDED TO CONTINUE TO BUY CARS.

AND I THINK EVERYBODY IN NORTHWEST OHIO DID A FANTASTIC JOB OF ACTUALLY FOLLOWING THE GUIDELINES, OFFERING WEEK WHAT WE CALLED STORE TO DOOR DELIVERY.

BUT ALSO WHEN PEOPLE WANTED TO COME TO THE DEALERSHIP, THINGS WERE SAFE.

YOU KNOW, WE HAD TEAMS OF PEOPLE THAT WERE KEEPING THE DEALERSHIP CLEAN WIPE DOWN, WE FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES WITH MASKED MANDATES.

AND I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF DEALERS IN NORTHWEST OHIO, THAT ALL JUMPED ON BOARD.

WE ALL GOT TOGETHER.

WE TALKED I TALKED TO A FEW OTHER DEALERS DJ YARK, IN PARTICULAR, WE TALKED THROUGH LIKE, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?

WHAT DO YOU GUYS GONNA DO?

WE GOT TOGETHER AND EVERYONE SAID, LET'S BE IN THIS TOGETHER.

AND I THINK A LOT OF DEALERS DID A GREAT JOB.

TOM COLE: STEVE, CAN YOU TAKE US ON THE WAY OUT HERE?

AND I KNOW THIS IS AN UNFAIR QUESTION TO TRY TO CAPSULATE IT SO QUICKLY.

BUT YOUR VIEW, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE SUCH A HARBINGER, SOMEONE WHO CAN SEE THE FUTURE REALLY WELL IN THIS INDUSTRY.

IT'S SUCH A INTERESTING INDUSTRY.

WHERE DO YOU SEE THE FUTURE OF CARS AND TRANSPORTATION OF ELECTRIC HYBRID HYBRID?

DRIVERLESS CARS?

I MEAN, WHAT'S THE FUTURE?

STEVE TAYLOR: OH, WOW, I WISH I KNEW TOM, I WISH I HAD A CRYSTAL BALL BALL.

BUT YOU KNOW, YOU'RE RIGHT.

TALKING ABOUT ELECTRIC VEHICLES, THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN SOONER THAN I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE EXPECTING.

YOU KNOW, I'VE HEARD SOME DATES.

2030 2035 SOME DATES THAT A LOT OF MANUFACTURERS ARE TRYING TO GO ALL ELECTRIC.

WE'VE GOT SOME ELECTRIC VEHICLES AT OUR DEALERSHIP AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO THAT WE'RE WORKING ON NOW.

HOW DO YOU HAVE THE CHARGING STATIONS, YOU KNOW, IT'S MORE THAN JUST GOING IN AND PLUGGING THAT VEHICLE INTO YOUR 110 AT HOME, YOU KNOW, YOU NEED THE CHARGING STATIONS.

I'VE HEARD THAT SOME OF THESE QUICK CHARGING STATIONS, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN CHARGE YOUR CAR IN A MATTER OF MINUTES OR, OR MAYBE AN HOUR.

BUT YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE A REGULAR JUST OUTLET IN YOUR GARAGE, IT COULD TAKE YOU HOURS AND HOURS TO PLUG THAT VEHICLE IN AND GET A FULL CHARGE.

THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF QUESTIONS TO PEOPLE HAVE RAISED ABOUT WHAT ABOUT THE POWER GRIDS?

CAN WE EVEN HANDLE ALL THESE CARS THAT ARE GOING HOME AT NIGHT IF PEOPLE ARE PLUGGING THEM IN?

YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE WORRIED ABOUT BROWNOUTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO I DO BELIEVE THAT ELECTRIC VEHICLES WILL HAPPEN.

I'M NOT SO SURE IT MIGHT HAPPEN AS QUICKLY AS 2030 2035 DEADLINES AND MANDATES.

AND THE OTHER THING IS TO HOW MANY PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY IN THE MIDWEST, REALLY, YOU KNOW, ARE IN IN WANT ELECTRIC VEHICLE.

SO I THINK THAT IT'S GREAT FOR PEOPLE AND THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT DO WANT THOSE VEHICLES, BUT IS IT SOMETHING FOR EVERYBODY?

THAT'S STILL I THINK A QUESTION THAT'S, YOU KNOW, GONNA BE ANSWERED HERE DOWN THE ROAD.

TOM COLE: BUT WITH YOU HELPING DRIVE THE INDUSTRY, CERTAINLY IN NORTHWESTERN OHIO AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY WITH YOUR INNOVATIVE IDEAS AND LEADERSHIP, I KNOW IT'S GONNA BE JUST FINE.

STEVE IS REALLY AN HONOR TO HAVE YOU ON FOUR CORNERS AND TO BE ON OUR TRANSPORTATION SHOW.

AND I WANT TO CLOSE OUT WITH THANKING YOU FOR THE PHILANTHROPIC WORK THAT YOU DO IN OUR COMMUNITY EVERY DAY, WHICH IS REALLY, TRULY INCREDIBLE.

SO THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US, STEVE.

STEVE TAYLOR: THANK YOU, AND I APPRECIATE THAT TIME.

THANK YOU.

TOM COLE: WE CAN REST ASSURED KNOWING THAT WE'RE SURROUNDED BY A MYRIAD OF OPPORTUNITIES IN TRANSPORTATION RIGHT HERE IN TOLEDO, FROM BLACK AND WHITE CABS OUR FORMIDABLE PORT AUTHORITY, RAILWAY SERVICES, AND OF COURSE, OUR EXPANDING AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY.

I'D LIKE TO THANK TONIGHT'S GUESTS FOR KEEPING US ON THE RIGHT TRACK.

I'M TOM COLE.

THANK YOU FOR WATCHING.

STAY SAFE AND JOIN US NEXT TIME WHERE WE ALL CONNECT AT FOUR CORNERS.

ANNOUNCER: THIS PRESENTATION WAS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY THE MANGO TREE RESTAURANT AND BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

THANK YOU (MUSIC)