Local taxi company operator claims to be biodiesel champ
By ΩBY MELODY HANATANI Daily Press Staff Writer
SANTA MONICA BOULEVARD A career path with stops along the way as a dental technician, casino dealer, realtor and personal trainer ended with an opportunity that fell into Don Alexander’s lap during a time of financial crisis.
At the age of 52, the native Yugoslavian had finally found his niche.
The owner of Santa Monica-based Euro Taxi has been in the cab business for just four years, but has already left a significant mark on the industry. Alexander’s company is credited with introducing the first fleet of biodiesel cabs in the city.
It was in 2003 when Alexander found himself in dire need of a job to support his family. He had lost his real estate license during the early 1990s and had taken on odd jobs since then that included stints as a personal trainer at 24 Hour Fitness and an art installer for a studio in Venice.
Then, one day, a job opportunity came a-knocking on his door. A friend who owned a taxi cab company, named Taxi! Taxi!, was looking for a new general manager to improve operations at his Santa Monica-based business.
Alexander credits himself with completely changing the company for the better by firing employees whom he believed had substance abuse problems. He also let go cab drivers that he suspected were living in company vehicles. Next was the task of replacing the entire fleet of vehicles with Mercedes- Benz S-Class cars. The finale to the plan was to build relationships with local hotels. He ultimately increased business by gaining the trust of local establishments including the Fairmont Miramar Hotel, Shutters on the Beach, the Sheraton Hotel, the Ambrose Hotel, and the Best Western Gateway Hotel.
In June 2005, the former owner of Taxi! Taxi! decided to sell the business that Alexander worked so hard to improve. As a result of the sale, he lost his job. At that time it was only natural that he would continue doing what he knew best — running a cab service.
“I still didn’t get back my real estate license,” Alexander said. “At 55, it’s not that easy to get a job and I already knew this [business] and had contacts. A friend of mine helped me financially and I started Euro Taxi.”
The name of the service, which launched in October 2005, stems from the fact that Mercedes-Benz is the only make of cars used by the company, similar to the practice of cab businesses throughout Europe.
It wasn’t easy building a company from the ground up,especially considering that Taxi! Taxi! was already so established in the city.
“I have no revengeful feelings toward Taxi! Taxi!,” Alexander said. “I still feel it’s a good company. The reason I got [support from] certain businesses is because I had contacts from Taxi! Taxi!”
The new business owner worked around the clock, forgoing sleep to take calls for taxi service during the early morning hours. It was a business that started with four cars and three drivers, including Alexander.
He tried to get the word out about his company, going door-to-door, sending out mailers and contacting his old clients at the local hotels. In the end, he was able to establish a relationship with the Ambrose Hotel, the Holiday Inn, and the Le Merigot Beach Hotel & Spa.
The company has since grown to include 22 drivers and 17 Mercedes-Benz cars. Just as the taxi business in Santa Monica had made a strong impression on Alexander, he decided to do the same thing in return.
In March 2006, General Manager Daniel Howery of the Ambrose Hotel mentioned to Alexander that the city of Santa Monica converted some of its heavy-duty vehicles and equipment to run on biodiesel during the previous year. Alexander believed that a taxi company could do the same thing and made plans to move in that direction.
Soon after his revelation, he decided to contact the man who had helped the city — L.A. BioFuel President Joe Gershen. With his help, Alexander was able to convert his four diesel Mercedes-Benz vehicles to run on biodiesel, a sustainable fuel made from vegetable oil.
He added the first biodiesel car to his fleet in August 2006. By doing so, Alexander believes Euro Taxi became the first cab company in the city to utilize biodiesel fuel.
Since that time, most of his in-city competitors have followed suit. For instance, his old employer Taxi! Taxi! has recently converted a few of its Mercedes-Benz vehicles to biodiesel with the help of Lovecraft Bio-Fuels in Los Angeles.
The biodiesel cars run much smoother than their diesel and gasoline counterparts, Alexander said. When his customers are informed they are riding in a biodiesel car, some remark that they can smell vegetable oil, he added.
As for cost savings, there is not much of a difference between biodiesel and regular diesel fuel. In the winter, biodiesel costs about 40-cents more per gallon than regular diesel. In the summer, biodiesel is about 20-cents cheaper because prices tend to go up during the warmer months.
Filling up the fleets’ tanks can be a pain at times considering that there are just two nearby locations offering biodiesel fuel. They are located in Marina del Rey and the Pacific Palisades respectively.
But, to Alexander, it’s worth the trouble if it helps the environment.
“It makes me feel good to be a part of something that is good for the environment and involved in the global warming issue,” he said.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 26, 2007. Read the original PDF.