ALL OCCASIONS LIMOUSINE & COACH

A Driving Force in the F/M Area

Life is never at a standstill in the F/M area, and for business owners Bill and Judy Walker, life is busier than ever. Proud members of the F/M community, the Walkers are husband and wife co-owners of All Occasions Limousine and Coach, a family-oriented business which has proudly serviced the F/M and surrounding areas for over nineteen years, providing limousines, coaches and SUVs for a large variety of clientele, events and occasions. With a strong focus on customer service and anticipating client needs, the Walkers, with their small town backgrounds, know that building trust and lasting relationships are key components of the service they provide, embodying the “small town way” as they continue to grow and expand.

Though they are currently booking reservations well into next year, the Walkers are also very much focused on the here and now with their annual Holiday Tour of Lights event just around the corner. Every year with Santa cap in hand, the Walkers embrace the Christmas spirit, giving clients an opportunity to explore the various wonderfully decorated neighborhoods around the F/M area. Providing three, 90-minute tours every evening, the Walkers pride themselves on hosting an event that provides fun for families and individuals of all ages. Known for their attention to detail, these tours offer Christmas carols, the warmth and aroma of fresh apple cider and televisions providing imagery of a crackling fireplace, all enclosed by perimeter seating creating the sense that one is sitting in the comforts of their living room, surrounded by loved ones (and a friendly chauffeur).

With 2013 – and their twentieth anniversary as business owners – looming, the Walkers offer a smile when reminiscing on the over 3,000 weddings they have been a part of, the various celebrities they have met and the behind-the-scenes experiences at the Fargodome and WE Fest that are too numerous to mention. One of Bill’s lasting memories came when he met a personal hero of his, Bill Cosby. Mr. Cosby had apparently flown into Fargo for a show, on a Gulfstream whose tail was emblazoned with the name of his wife, and who—upon landing—asked the Walkers to help him find something for his pilots to eat. There still may be some employees at Hardee’s restaurant who vaguely recall a limousine going through their drive-thru many years ago, requesting chicken sandwiches to go.

Though quick to point out that “we have a big job, it’s nervewracking,” one gets the sense that the Walkers wouldn’t have it any other way. Discussing with pride the many incredible life events they have been a part of and the attention to detail they feel sets them apart from other transportation companies, the Walkers also exemplify the responsibility that they feel to their community when they discuss that their main goal is to “keep people safe, so that they are able to go out, have fun and not drink and drive.”

Using a strong team approach in building relationships with many community businesses, the Walkers are able to offer comprehensive and creative packages for a large variety of clientele needs, allowing their patrons to enjoy unique, customized experiences.

Offering a range of vehicles including two black SUVs for corporate work, two limousine coaches, two trolleys that are decked out “like a Cheers bar on wheels,” as well as a stretch Hummer, the Walkers employ ten chauffeurs and will also often be found behind the wheel themselves. With a business motto that stresses both reliability and flexibility (not an easy task!), the Walkers are kept busy with not only providing transport to rock stars, newlyweds and corporate executives, but also with donating their services to various charities and groups in the F/M area. Two of the services they are most proud of are the free rides to various groups during their Tour of Lights, and being involved from the beginning with Matt and Bridget Cullen and the Cully’s Kids Foundation, which has raised millions of dollars for children living with and being treated for cancer.

Looking ahead to the future but remaining focused on the day to day, the Walkers know that their enduring success comes down to word of mouth from their clients, and to providing a high quality of service each and every day, knowing that their clients “trust them to do the right thing.” [AWM]

MILESTONES PHOTOGRAPHY

Rialee Photography

SCHERLING

SCHERLING

Milestones Photography