Springfield area holds title of Limo Capital USA

It’s easy to understand why – at least seven limo manufacturers operate within 25 miles of Springfield: Springfield Coach Builders, Executive Coach Builders, DaBryan Coach Builders and Springfield Limousine Sales in Springfield; S&R Coach in Strafford; Craftsmen Limousine in Ozark; and Murgel Limousine in Marshfield.

Wayne Smith, director of the Vehicle Manufacturers Association and former executive director of the National Limousine Association, said he has been in the industry for 25 years, and in that time, “Springfield has always been the capital of coach builders.”

There are about 20 manufacturers of retail limousines in the United States, according to Limousine and Chauffeured Transportation magazine, the trade publication of record for the industry. About 3,100 new limousines were manufactured nationally in 2006, according to the magazine.

Much of the local limo industry experience and institutional knowledge can be traced back to John Bumgarner, who founded Executive Coach Builders in 1977. Bumgarner sold that company in 1981, and it has been owned by David Bakare since 1993.

Bumgarner also has founded two other limo manufacturing companies – Springfield Coach Builders in 1994, which was sold to what is now Florida-based Imperial Body & Design Inc. in 2004, and his current business, Springfield Limousine Sales, opened in 2006. The company sells about 150 new limos a year, with price tags in the $65,000 range. Springfield Limousine Sales, 2032 E. Kearney St., Ste. 107, also sells 70 to 80 refurbished limos each year, and about 60 Lincoln Town Car sedans.

Bumgarner knows Springfield is a Mecca for limo builders – and he understands why.

“I think a lot of the reason is that this area is virtually in the center of the United States – it’s easy to do business all over the country,” Bumgarner said. “There have been thousands of (limousines) made and sold from the Springfield area.”

Bumgarner said the region’s vehicle manufacturing prowess actually predates the widespread use of automobiles.

Springfield Wagon Co., first registered with the Missouri secretary of state in 1904, had a long history of building quality wagons to send all over the country.

DaBryan Coach Builders was formed in 1979, when two Executive Coach employees, Gary Dabney and Rick Bryant, struck out on their own. Edward Macdonald, DaBryan’s vice president and sales director, said others have done the same thing in the Springfield market.

“It’s not that (builders) are in another city and looking where to start up and they come to Springfield,” Macdonald said. “It’s the same story as DaBryan – they feel they can build a better car and they go off and start their own (company). That’s why you end up with six or eight companies.”

DaBryan, 4700 E. Kearney St., sells about 300 new limousines a year, and they cost between $67,500 and $93,000.

Experience in building limousines, creates a knowledgeable work force – which perpetuates the trend of quality vehicles and new startup companies, according to Macdonald. He said the number of companies in and around Springfield creates additional advantages.

“There’s a lot of suppliers – we end up having a good volume of the bits and pieces that go into the vehicles,” he said.

“They know that if they sell to one (manufacturer), they have the opportunity to sell to three or four others, so they’re more apt to look into a new product and help with development,” Macdonald added.

And despite the close proximity of competitors, Macdonald said the competition is actually a positive for all involved.

“There’s a work force that’s educated as far as limousines are concerned, and people fly in to see product,” he said. “We draw a lot more prospects because they know that in Springfield they can run around and hit three or four different companies in one trip.”

No matter the reasons for the success of the industry, Springfield Limousine Sales’ Bumgarner said the area’s long history of vehicle manufacturing will help sustain the industry into the future.

“Springfield … has a name around the world for making limousines,” he said. “It’s like a lot of other businesses – 100 years ago … if you got a Springfield wagon, you knew you had a good wagon. It’s the same in the automobile business.”

Limo Capital USA

These companies make the Springfield area the capital of coach builders:

(N/A=Not available at press time)

Executive Coach Builders

Address: 4400 W. Production St., Partnership Industrial Center West

Top executive: David Bakare, president

Annual output: N/A

Price points: N/A

DaBryan Coach Builders

Address: 4700 E. Kearney St., Partnership Industrial Center

Top executive: Dan Mitchell, president

Annual output: About 300 new limos

Price points: $67,500 to $93,000

Springfield Limousine Sales

Address: 2032 E. Kearney St., Suite 107

Top executive: John Bumgarner, president

Annual output: About 150 new limos

Price points: $65,000 range

S&R Coach

Address: 316 N. Airport Road, Strafford and 4852 S. 138th Road, Bolivar

Top executive: Adin Baban, sales executive

Annual output: 50 to 60 limos and 15 to 20 limo buses

Price points: N/A

Murgel Limousine Manufacturing

Address: 10 Honeysuckle Road, Marshfield

Top executive: Kevin Murgel, president

Annual output: N/A

Price points: N/A

Imperial Body & Design (formerly Springfield Coach Builders)

Address: 1903 N. Barnes Ave. (headquarters is in Florida)

Top local executive: Richard Meagher, plant manager

Annual output: N/A

Price points: N/A

JMRL Sales & Service dba Craftsmen Limousine

Address: 3721 N. 21st Street, Ozark

Top executive: Robert J. Haswell, president

Annual output: About 60 new limos

Price points: $72,000 to $80,000 sedan limos; $100,000 to $110,000, SUV limos