Today we’d like to introduce you to Tom McKay.
Hi Tom, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
When my wife Kari and I first moved to Moab I had plans to open up a restaurant, but I quickly learned that I was taking something I loved, cooking, and turning it into something that I’d probably not enjoy….working all day every day!
Literally, I googled “businesses to open in tourist towns” and one of the things that came up was shuttle/transportation services. I liked people, and driving, and had 25-plus years of customer service and business experience so I bought a van, hired a great website and tech consultant (Ann Perri), and opened the business in the summer of 2018.
For the first year, it was just me. We only did airport shuttles and only for the few flights a day that came into Moab’s regional airport. As our brand grew, so did requests. Calls started coming in for other transportation services like weddings, corporate events, and longer-distance airports transfer like Grand Junction and Salt Lake. At first, we pushed guests to other local shuttle services with the caveat, “if they can’t help you, call us back and we’ll find a way to help.” And almost everyone called back, so we figured out how to help.
Then Covid hit. We hunkered down, survived, and now we have 7 vehicles. We have expanded into private tours and partnered with several local and national tour companies and tour providers so that guests visiting Moab can have a worry-free, safe, and on-time experience when it comes to any transportation needs in the area.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It’s been a relatively smooth ride if we can ignore the pandemic! Early on I was blessed to meet and hire some great people to be drivers for Moab Express. Most of the drivers we have today reached out to us directly because they knew it was something they would be good at, and it fits their other schedules.
One of the reasons I wanted to open my own business is so that I could find and work with like-minded people, and who I would treat in a manner as a manager the way I’d always wanted to be treated as an employee. It’s worked out very well. Huge thanks to Sue, Alan, Diane, Momo, Katie, Rachel, Ron, and the many “on occasions, when it works out” part-time drivers that make Moab Express run!
As you know, we’re big fans of Moab Express. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Moab Express is a transportation company based in Moab, UT. We provide door-to-door shuttle service for every flight into and out of Moab’s Canyonlands Field Airport. We also provide event shuttles as well as custom shuttles for people needing to get to Grand Junction, Green River, Salt Lake City, and pretty much anywhere else they need to go. Starting this year, we have begun offering private scenic tours of Arches and Canyonlands National Parks.
We provide safe and newer model vehicles, safe local and experienced drivers, and excellent customer service. It seems trivial, but I’m proud that we actually answer our phone calls with a person, not a robot where you have to do phone gymnastics to find an answer. We have become Moab’s premier transportation and shuttle company, and I think what we have done is stated often in our customer reviews online. When over 300 people give you a five-star review on Google for something that seems simple like a shuttle, you know you are doing it right!
What does success mean to you?
Success is when the outcome turns out well for everyone: customers, owners, and employees.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.moabexpress.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moabexpress
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moabexpress
