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Allpro Parking expands to Columbus with contract for Workers’ Comp garage
Business First by Brian R. Ball, Staff reporter
Date: Thursday, October 13, 2011, 2:12pm EDT
- Brian R. Ball
- Staff reporter - Business First
A Buffalo, N.Y.-based parking garage manager has completed its entry into Ohio’s big three markets with the help of a Columbus partner.
has entered the market through a joint venture with Eckl Parking LLC to manage the 524-slot parking garage owned by the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation at 165 N. Front St. The joint venture, Allpro Ohio LLC, began managing the downtown parking garage and an adjacent 91-slot surface parking lot for the state agency Oct. 1.
Ampco System Parkinghad managed the garage for Workers’ Comp, which has its offices in the nearby William Green Building.
“Allpro Parking has expanded our market share in Cincinnati over the past few years with considerable success,” Allpro CEO Richard Serra said in a news release. “It has now targeted other Ohio markets.”
The company also manages parking at a Cleveland-area hospital.
Eckl founder and partner Tom Eckl said the joint venture also operates three parking garages and two surface parking lots in Cincinnati, where Allpro manages eight other parking operations on its own. Eckl started his firm in 2003 after a few years at another parking operator. Prior to that, he worked for Buffalo-based Allright Parking for more than 20 years before becoming president of that firm’s Columbus operations in 1996. Eckl said several Allpro principals also had worked at Allright during his tenure.
He said the Columbus contract may lead to others in the market.
“It’s a hard-working entity,” Eckl said of the joint venture, “and we’ll keep moving forward.”
Eckl’s firm manages valet services, parking garages and surface lots in Columbus, including the Creekside mixed-used complex in Gahanna, the Hampton Inn & Suites downtown and Nationwide Children’s Hospital. The downtown Columbus garage marks the 13th multilevel parking facility for Allpro Parking throughout its eight operating cities: Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Ithaca and Jamestown in New York and the three Ohio markets. Its Buffalo operations include event parking at Ralph Wilson Stadium, home of the National Football League Buffalo Bills.
Tom, a CPFM (Certified Parking Facility Manager), has been in the parking industry since 1975, and has managed every type of parking facility and environment. The first 23+ years were with Allright Parking Buffalo, where he worked his way up to Vice President of the Buffalo division. In 1996, Tom was promoted to President of Allright’s Columbus division where he oversaw 32 locations. In 1999, Tom was solicited by another parking company to head their parking management division. During his tenure, he was directly responsible for the entire transition/start-up of Newport on the Levees’ parking garage and valet operation. In addition he has overseen facilities such as Miranova Parking Garage, the Port Columbus International Airports’ Curbside Valet and the valet operation at Easton Town Center, including the start-up of the North End Valet (Phase II)
Eckl Parking Company, LLC (EPC) was awarded a management services contract to operate the surface parking lot at 101 North High Street, Columbus, Ohio. This prominent parking facility is conveniently located to attract employees and visitors to City of Columbus and State of Ohio office buildings, One Columbus, the LeVeque Tower, the Atlas Building, the YMCA and other downtown Columbus office buildings and businesses. We are excited to bring our professional management program to the lot for the benefit of its customers and owners. EPC will begin operating the facility on September 1, 2011.
