In a history-making announcement, Justin Ward and Amanda Stophel, CEO and President respectively, of Encore Luxury Coach Leasing have now become the largest entertainer coach leasing company in North America after the acquisition of Nitetrain Coach Company in Whites Creek, Tennessee. Effective immediately, the acquisition brings together two already established entertainer coach leasing companies to provide an unmatched operational bandwidth with over 145 coaches within their fleet.
Having run a business with 70+ locations within the United States and over 400 employees, I am excited to bring those entrepreneurial skills from my original home base of North Carolina to Tennessee and work with the Nitetrain and Encore teams to create something special in the touring sector of the entertainment business,” says Encore president Amanda Stophel. “I have been building out an innovative business infrastructure that is unparalleled within the coach and entertainment industry and now, with this expansion finalized, I can’t wait to watch all of this unfold and work with the artists, managers, and business managers to deliver this fresh new approach to the touring side of the business.”
In the new deal, Encore’s Leasing operations will have offices in Phoenix, Arizona, and Nashville, Tennessee, with over 85,000 square feet of maintenance facilities with over 25 maintenance technicians. The North Carolina conversion group operation will continue serving the company with unmatched custom-built coach interiors.
“I am excited about this new chapter for our company. There are a lot of people who have supported us and helped us achieve this milestone,” says Encore CEO Justin Ward. “We are forever grateful to them for that support and look forward to further strengthening those relationships as our company continues to grow. Encore is serving music with a relentless focus on delivering a premium to the clients we serve. We are excited about the strength this acquisition gives us in that pursuit.”
Touring clients include WWE, Nickelback, Thomas Rhett, Bailey Zimmerman, Joe Nichols, Ashley McBryde, Barenaked Ladies, Lauren Daigle, Ben Harper, Natalie Grant, Cheap Trick, Kip Moore, Barry Manilow, Beck, Phish, Russell Dickerson, Billy Strings, Alabama, Big Time Rush, Hank Williams Jr., Blink 182, and Joan Jett, among others.
For more information, visit demandencore.com or encorecoaches.com.
