Magnet for CEOs

“I moved back here in 2003 to start this business with my brother, who was living in Los Angeles but he and his wife didn’t want to raise their young daughter there.” Quay Chilcott was explaining to me how he started By the Bay Shuttle in Traverse City, MI as he drove me up to Petoskey, MI. Both Traverse City and Petoskey were rated as Golden Eagles or top 100 agurbs® in BoomtownUSA.

Chilcott explained to me his newest venture, “We found that we were increasingly transporting CEOs and their families around the area. One of them suggested starting a specialized service for them, using late model SUVs. We started that last year and I’ve been amazed at the way it has taken off. We’ve already signed up 83 CEOs at $3,000/year.”

Chilcott didn’t have any idea that there were that many presidents, CEOs and business owners in the area until he started the business. He’s finding that more are moving in, choosing to raise their families in a more tranquil, rural setting even as they are jetting off each Monday to their offices.

The development of broadband, video conferencing and other distance-reducing technologies have spurred this search for better quality of life alternatives for these CEOs. The advent of the new Very Light Jets (VLJs) with their dramatically lower costs will allow for VPs and others down the corporate ladder to also make such choices.

Chilcott is already looking at how he might be able to incorporate the VLJs into his burgeoning shuttle business. Areas like Traverse City/Petoskey and others that offer a higher quality of life will be the big beneficiaries of these new technologies.