Minuteman Parking Fan Page on Facebook

We are pleased to announce that Minuteman Parking Company is now on Facebook and Twitter!

In addition to our blog posts, our Facebook and Twitter will provide the latest and greatest news from Minuteman, as well as up-to-date information in the world of valet parking. Our Facebook page allows visitors to view picture albums that are dedicated to what we know best: hotels, hospitals and special events.

Facebook was founded by a small group of Harvard students and it is one of the fastest growing internet sites for both social and business contacts. The site currently has over 350 million active users worldwide and is the second most-visited site in the world, falling behind Google.

Twitter is another social networking site that allows its users to send and read messages known as tweets. The site was founded in 2006 and allows followers to keep up with what is happening right now.

Even if you are not currently using Facebook or Twitter, you can still visit our pages and see our updates. And if you are already part of the latest social phenomenon, we would love for you to become a fan and follow us!

You can access our accounts using the following links:

Minuteman Parking Facebook Fan Page

Minuteman Parking on Twitter

Minuteman Parking had another successful year and revenues grew by almost 20% in 2009 even as the hotel and hospitality business slumped due to the economy.  We were able to grow our business and add shuttle operations in a year when our competitors were scrambling to survive.  Making up the difference was our recent focus on parking services for the Medical Facilities business where we added four new accounts in 2009.  Our goals for 2010 are to continue our strong growth, focus on the customer and improve all of our customer encounters.

I am proud to announce that Tu Sam was selected as Minuteman Manager of the year for 2009.  Tu is the manager of the Seattle Airport Marriott site and has worked for Minuteman for almost six years.  Tu started as a Driveway Ambassador and worked his way up to manager.  Tu was the highest scoring manager in our location audit and had superior guest satisfaction scores.   The bonus was that his facility had zero accident claims for 2009 which is amazing because it happened at an airport property.

Minuteman Parking President Chris Fox Presenting 2009 Manager of the Year Award to Tu Sam from the Seattle Airport Marriott

Some of the other awards handed out include:

• The Revolving Door won by Dawn Harper at Hoag Hospital for hiring the most employees during the year
• Most Appreciated Manager won by Ron Machon at Torrance Marriott for hiring just 1 new employee all year
• Mr. Discipline won by Gary & John at St Joseph Hospital for handing out the most written warnings
• Follows the Rules by Kennedy Maringa at St Bernadine for having the highest score on the location audit
• Just Focus and Do It by Bryan Kramer at Tower Hotel for accomplishing all of his goals during the year
• Knows What Time It Is by Kennedy Maringa at St Bernadine for having the lowest overall lunch punches
• Knows What Time It Is by Ian Wilson at Manhattan Marriott, Tu Sam at Seattle Airport Marriott, Aaron Rosen at Fantasy Springs and Derek Coffinger at the W Hotel for great improvement in reducing lunch punches
• Zero Tolerance awards to Tu Sam at Seattle Airport Marriott, Ron Maachon at Torrance Marriott and Kennedy Maringa at St. Bernadine for having $0 (ZERO) claims in 2009
• Mr. Safety for the best improved claims to Walter Avelar at Marina Marriott, Rico Saavedra at the Huntley Hotel and Ian Wilson at the Manhattan Marriott
• The Closer Award for successfully closing the Monterey Plaza Hotel by Aidan Gabriel at the Monterey Plaza Hotel
• Mr. Service Award to Walter Avelar at Marina Marriott for improving the overall guest satisfaction score

Our team building activity this year was bowling at the Lucky Strike Lanes in Torrance.  Dawn Harper and Ron Machon surprised the rest of the managers with their bowling prowess by each bowling well in excess of 150.

Minuteman President Chris Fox Thowing Yet Another Gutter Ball

I would also like to thank Crecenciano Moreno who created our lovely balloon centerpieces.  Creceniano is one of our shuttle drivers at CHOC and he makes balloons all day long for the visiting children.  We value his extra efforts and dedication to bringing his version of happiness and joy to the CHOC facility.

Balloon Arrangements Created by Crecenciano Moreno, Shuttle Driver for CHOC

New ICQ1000 Biometric Time Clock from Timeforce

Minuteman Parking is going biometric!

As announced at the annual Managers Meeting last week, Minuteman Parking will be rolling out new time clocks to all locations over the next month or so.  Gone are the old days of using actual punch cards and the more recent innovation of using electronic swipe cards.  The new time clocks from Timeforce have built-in state-of-the-art biometrics which will actually read fingerprints to positively identify an employee.

There are several great reasons for Minuteman Parking to make the switch to the new clocks:

• Improved accuracy
• Real time punches
• Better management of lunch punch compliance rules
• Real time reporting for the management team
• Excellent software which will scale with our growth

This is yet another investment in technology which will help us to continue a high level of service to all of our customers.

Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center

The Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center in Fountain Valley becomes our 4th new medical facility customer this year on November 9th.  We are delighted to begin partnering with Orange Coast as they are the only not-for-profit hospital in Fountain Valley and its surrounding communities.   And the hospital was voted “Best Place to Work” and “Best Companies to Work for” by the readers of the Orange County Register and OC Metro Magazine.

We will start with a valet station at the front door of their new Orange Coast Patient Care Pavilion which is opening this month.  Connected by a sky bridge to the main hospital, the 6-story, 162,500 square-foot structure will be home to some of the most advanced medical treatments and highly-regarded specialists in the region.  We are also adding a brand new Gem golf cart to ferry visitors and patients from the self-parking lot to the hospital entrance.  Over the next few months, we plan to add other valet and Door Ambassador positions throughout the Medical Center campus.

Orange Coast Patient Care Pavilion Opens in November 2009

Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center is the latest member in the family of medical facilities served by Minuteman Parking.  We also added St. Jude Medical Center in August, Little Company of Mary Medical Center in June and Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) in April.  In addition,  we also provide parking services at Hoag Hospital, St. Joseph Hospital of Orange and Newport Lido Medical Center in Orange County, the Loma Linda Medical Center in Loma Linda and St. Bernardine Medical Center in San Bernardino.

Minuteman Parking moved into our new office in El Segundo this month.  Less than one mile from the ocean, the new offices are close to downtown El Segundo and the 105 and 405 Freeways.

Chris Fox in his New El Segundo Office

According to Chris Fox, President of Minuteman Parking:

We had been at our old offices for more than 5 years and with our recent growth, we were nearly busting at the seams.  Our new location in El Segundo projects a more professional image, plus it is centrally located for our employees.  We have the room we need now for offices and storage, plus plenty of room to grow.

Controller Wilson Tang

Controller Wilson Tang had this to offer:

I think the new setup is more conducive to working and it has already made the finance team more organized and productive.  Plus, the location is close to El Porto which is one of the best surf spots in the South Bay.

There are some new amenities in the office too.  For example, there is a large lunchroom with a flat screen TV and couch where employees can relax.  The lunchroom will double as a training facility.  In Chris’ office, there is also a large conference room where employees can collaborate on projects.  In addition, there is much more space to prominently display the Boston sports memorabilia that Chris has collected over the years, but the Wheaties boxes have not yet made an appearance.

Combination Lunch Room and Training Facility

While the physical location for Minuteman Parking has changed, the mailing address and phone number remain the same.  You can continue to reach us at:

Minuteman Parking Company
1601 N. Sepulveda Blvd.
Suite 368
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
310 390-7458

I would like to share a letter we received from Janice Vande Steeg, General Manager of the Manhattan Beach Marriott this week.

And I would like to congratulate Ian Wilson, Kirk Boardman and the rest of the Minuteman Parking team at the Manhattan Beach Marriott for delivering exceptional service and fulfilling the Minuteman Commitments To Excellence for one of our longtime customers.

Thank you!

Marriott Manhattan Beach - Minuteman Parking Testimonial

Medical facilities across the country are preparing for the worst as we head into a new flu season.  The H1N1 virus also known as “swine flu” is expected to infect millions of people this winter and public health officials hope to lessen the threat by providing vaccines to the those people with the highest risk.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,

The initial priority should go to health care and emergency workers, pregnant women, those from 6 months to age 24, and adults with underlying medical conditions ranging from heart disease to asthma.

An article in the Orange County Register last week discussed how area hospitals are preparing to combat the potential epidemic of swine flu.

To help minimize the spread of the H1N1 virus, Minuteman Parking has teamed up with the staff at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange to hand out face masks to visitors who may be exhibiting flu symptoms when they use our valet parking services.  We are proud that we are on the front lines of fighting this potential epidemic, and pleased that a picture of team member Jim Kirkpatrick was included in the OCRegister article.

Minuteman Parking Team Member Jim Kirkpatrick Passes Out Face Mask at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange

You can find out more about swine flu and the swine flu vaccine at the OC Register website or from the special H1N1 website from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the August 31, 2009 addition of “Another Day” which is the daily news for St. Joseph Hospital Employees, Robert Fairrington the Minuteman Parking Company Manager at The Center for Cancer Prevention and Pavilion was interviewed.  Robert joined Minuteman Parking Company 2007 as a valet and quickly moved up the ranks due to his great patient care service and leadership of other team members.  Robert has inspired his team not to just help the patients they encounter but CARE about them and make every encounter a Sacred Encounter.

Robert is truly living the Minuteman Parking Company Commitments to Excellence; he makes a difference every day.

Sacred Staff Encounter

Robert Fairrington

Minute Man Parking Management Team

Robert, what is your background?

I’m a native of Orange, born at St. Joseph Hospital. Every time I was hurt growing up, this is where I came. Three years ago while going to Fullerton College for my B.S. in Business Administration and working at a machine shop, I was looking for a second job. I started working outside of the Emergency Department as a valet. Two years ago I began working here full time and joined the management team. I’m contracted with Minute Man Parking to provide services at the Pavilion and The Center for Cancer Prevention and Treatment.

What do Sacred Encounters mean to you?

It’s an incident that makes you feel the compassion and caring that’s here. It goes beyond your expectations. Our team has a “Wow” journal to record and encourage Sacred Encounters. It has entries such as patients bringing us cookies and brownies, and notes indicating the make and model of a patient’s car, so that when they return we can greet them by name, or realize that Mr. Smith needs a wheelchair. Parking can be a source of frustration for many people so anytime I can make a patients experience any easier I feel I have helped with the healing process.

Can you relay a specific Sacred Encounter you’ve experienced here?

I know some of our patients since my days as a valet. There’s a man who has been coming here with his wife for cancer treatment for over two years. I sometimes see her getting coffee while I’m getting breakfast at the Pavilion. She knows my history and always asks about my family. They’ve had a rough battle but she maintains good spirits and is always real and personable. It’s always neat to see her. It has gone beyond a working relationship to a personal friend, who I can share concerns and feelings with.

What do you like doing outside of work?

Snowboarding, skateboarding, working on my jeep, going to the desert, off-roading, mountain biking and everything outdoors.

What’s your favorite restaurant?

Sushi Yosuke in Anaheim Hills. I especially like the albacore and blue fin tuna.

Minuteman Parking's Newest Customer

The mission statement for St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton states:

To extend the healing ministry of Jesus in the tradition of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange by continually improving the health and quality of life of the people in the communities we serve

Starting today, Minuteman Parking will be helping St. Jude reach their mission by providing a shuttle operation to deliver employees and patients to their destinations more efficiently and safely, and by providing Lane Ambassadors who will help introduce their new pay-in-lane parking equipment.

St. Jude joins the growing trend of medical facilities that are using parking and valet solutions to improve both patient and visitor satisfaction along with improving “patient flow”.  These services also have an added side benefit of improving safety for all patients, visitors and employees.

St. Jude Medical Center is the latest member in the family of medical facilities served by Minuteman Parking.  We also added Little Company of Mary Medical Center in June and Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) in April.  In addition,  we also provide parking services at Hoag Hospital, St. Joseph Hospital of Orange and Newport Lido Medical Center in Orange County, the Loma Linda Medical Center in Loma Linda and St. Bernardine Medical Center in San Bernardino.

Our Newest Customer - Little Company of Mary

I am pleased to announce that we will start providing parking services at Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Facility in Torrance on June 29th.

Little Company of Mary Medical Facility is part of the Providence Health and Services system, and they have more than 4000 employees, physicians and volunteers who have been serving our South Bay community for over 40 years.

Minuteman Parking is excited to bring a new look-and-feel to patient and visitor arrival at Little Company of Mary and will be implementing changes in the parking area to improve patient flow and overall satisfaction.  We will staff two valet stations - at the main entrance and at the outpatient services entrance - from Monday through Friday.  In addition, we will provide an on-campus golf cart shuttle during peak times and upon request.  Our contract with Little Company will also add about 15 new associates to the Minuteman Parking family.

Craig Owens, Ron Machon and Dawn Harper are leading the implementation team and our South Bay management team will oversee day-to-day management of the operations.

Little Company of Mary is the latest addition to the family of medical facilities served by Minuteman Parking.   In addition to Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) which we added in April, we also provide parking services at Hoag Hospital, St. Josephs and Newport Lido Medical Center in Orange County, the Loma Linda Medical Center in Loma Linda and St. Bernadine Medical Center in San Bernadino.