Last-minute purchase saves Lima cab company

News Top Stories Facebook X Pinterest WhatsApp LIMA — Friday, Nov. 13 looked to be as foreboding as the date’s superstition entailed for Black and White Cab Co., 420 W. Elm St., which planned to cease operations at midnight due to rising fuel, insurance and automobile part costs. In the “11th hour,” president Duane Ridenour said, its rescue arrived. “We’re getting down to almost within that last 24-hour window, and completely out of nowhere, somebody from our community reached out to these people and said, ‘Can we come down and meet at 6 o’clock?’” Ridenour said. “… We met and talked about a price and terms scenario offer and found it acceptable. And we are off into the races, and we’re going to continue in operation.” Along with the purchase by a “really strong, experienced transportation company,” Ridenour said, will come “a significant capital investment” into upgraded vehicles and physical assets. Meanwhile, he said Black and White Cab’s identity and 24/7 personal service that its customers have come to value will remain intact. Ridenour expects the sale to formally close within the next 30 days. He declined to reveal the purchasing company’s name or payment amount so as not to “cause any disruption in the process,” he said. In addition to improved vehicles, Ridenour said the company plans to set up an online portal for residents to order a cab if they prefer not to call a dispatcher. He expressed excitement that the company “understands the business in a very deep way,” and it’ll bring “a lot of high energy and youthfulness” to Black and White’s 40 years of operation. “In the conversations that unfold, you can tell by how they just talk,” Ridenour said. “We’ve learned a little bit about them since then and found out their depth of bench; it’s pretty substantial.” He empathized with his employees throughout the near-closing process, saying he understood how the uncertainty of future employment could affect “your whole stability in life, and even how you think about yourself.” The next thing he knew, Ridenour informed them that “we’re not going to have a closing lunch together potluck, but we’re going to have a celebration potluck.” In the end, a day intended to signal the company’s death instead brought it to new life. “I go back to all of the people that have been praying, because a large part of the community, drivers, churches and different groups and organizations that need transportation have been kind of praying for us,” Ridenour said. “So I’m thankful for them, and the answer that comes out of it is kind of crazy. It’s the continuation of the business and even more than we hoped for, or more that we even thought possible.” Reach Peter Bonasso at 567-242-0399. Featured Local Savings