![]() In line with that, Johnson also spoke of becoming proudly American after an upbringing in Canada. “An accountant that used to work for us told me, ‘This (pandemic shutdown) must be why the Lord gave you so much success earlier, so you’re able to handle this,’” he said. Johnson attributes that presence to his faith. That brought to mind the late author/psychotherapist Alan Loy McGinnis, who wrote in his 1993 book The Power of Optimism, “Optimists are cheerful even when they can’t be happy.” “There’s always something to be thankful for,” he interjected into the conversation at one point. During our hour-long virtual conversation, he smiled almost constantly despite describing a grim business situation. That optimism is a noticeable trait of Johnson’s. It’s just that nobody knows the timing of it.” “We’ll rebuild the infrastructure and hire we’ll do it. Yet he holds to a positive outlook and proactive approach. “It’ll be quite tough to rebuild to what we once had.” “The picture is going to look entirely different,” Johnson said. Now, nobody can predict when they will run normally again. We needed prayer.”ĭuring that dilemma, the company and its buses kept running. “Devastated and heartbroken,” is how he described the aftermath at the time. Bellair never was charged or found at fault in any way, but Johnson had to meet the moment with victims’ families and with his badly shaken driver and workforce. Five years ago, one of the company’s chartered tour buses based in Federal Way was slammed into head-on by another tour vehicle while crossing a bridge in Seattle.įive passengers on Bellair’s bus - among a group of students and faculty from North Seattle College - died, and dozens sustained injuries. This crisis wasn’t Johnson’s first with Bellair. But the best part is that it provided some outside work for some of our mechanics.” We opened a shop for maintenance and repair on motor homes, RVs, and for companies with fleets. ![]() “We asked ourselves, ‘What assets do we have?’” Johnson said. However, one exception to the bleak current events and uncertain forecast did unfold. (The shuttle has since resumed, starting in June with limited capacity and a drastically shortened schedule, and slowly has regained 15% to 20% of the customer base.) With COVID-19 restrictions, tours, charters and Airporter Shuttle trips completely shut down. ![]() You either need a ride to the airport or you don’t. But at its core and within its niche, Bellair has found itself with nowhere to pivot. Throughout the pandemic, many stories have circulated about companies that have reworked their business models, adjusting to survive the crisis. Otherwise, Bellair business has bottomed out. Navy, state and intercity bus operations, and construction companies moving their employees from job to job. “It’s a low-margin segment, but high volume so it provides a wonderful cash flow.”īellair has contracts with the U.S. “We’re very thankful for our contracts,” Johnson said. But in the third quarter of 2020, Johnson revealed a drop of roughly 85% in sales in Ferndale, with a skeleton staff of just three or four in the office, six drivers, a few mechanics and another dozen people working in other locations. “Our entire industry, worldwide - the huge travel and tourism segment of economies - got hammered,” Johnson said.įor perspective, Bellair had been showing growth, posting more than $11 million in revenue during the 2019 fiscal year and boasting about 150 employees. But then, like so many others, it screeched to a halt in its tire tracks between spring and fall this year. It’s been a consistent presence in the annual Business Pulse listing of the Top 100 Private Companies. Johnson bought the business 15 years ago after several years at Bellair as - what’s that term again? - oh, yes, an employee. The Bellair Charters & Airporter buses - nearly all 70 of them - stand idle, a virtually motionless fleet on sprawling lots near Ferndale, in Federal Way and in Yakima. The business is buses, chartered, shuttled and leased. “Employee.” That’s a term that has vanished almost entirely from the vocabulary (and payroll) of Johnson’s business over the course of the past several months. Bellair Charters & Airporter owner Richard Johnson continues to project faith, optimism for recovery in ‘hammered’ industry
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