Enter the Fast Lane: Biz San Diego Article
No. 1 Cool Factor: Ferraris, Lamborghinis and high-end yachts, oh my!
Industry: Luxury transportation rentals
Employees: 5
HQ: La Jolla
Best Perk: Driving a Ferrari F430 for a day
Getting a double nod for being a Cool Company is La Jolla–based San Diego Prestige, which has been in business just more than two years. Not only did it make the bizSanDiego list for being in the fast-growing luxury transportation biz and treating its employees like gold, it also has a service that can be used as an awesome perk for other local companies.
San Diego Prestige owns, manages and rents a fleet of high-end cars and manages yachts and helicopters for business and personal use. Local businesses have used the company’s services as incentives for executives or other employees. Companies, for example, could rent a Lamborghini Gallardo for a day to recognize a top sales performer, or charter a yacht for a four-hour executive retreat.
But enough about how other companies can use San Diego Prestige’s services, because, heck, the company also extends these kinds of perks to its own employees. As one staff member says, ?As a salesperson working on new business, I see one hundred percent how I make more sales calls than I originally thought possible, or close a deal quicker, because a Ferrari F430 is waiting for me at the finish line.?
For the employees at San Diego Prestige, experiencing a ride on a 58-foot yacht or spinning around town in a supercar for a day probably make the highlight real in the story of their lives. The perks don’t end there, though. In an identifiable French accent, Franck Danglard, owner and CEO of San Diego Prestige, explains that when he started the company, he wanted a rewarding environment, a place where employees would look forward to coming to work. What a concept.
?We have a great atmosphere. Our employees spend more time at work than they spend with their families, so it’s nice to create a good ambiance,? says Danglard, who, by the way, will answer to the Americanization of his first name: Frank.
However, in creating the corporate culture, Danglard maintains that he tries to keep the dress code business casual, and sometimes his employees do have to dress a little more formal.
?We need to be cool while still showing some respect,? he says. We don’t want clients to say, ?They’re so cool, I guess we can trash the car.’? That definitely would not be good for business.
What has been good for business is letting employees have flex hours, treating them to sporting events (like a corporate box at a Chargers game) and throwing parties throughout the year.
?We try to accommodate everyone if possible,? says Danglard, and that philosophy has helped his company thrive in just a couple short years.