William Bouweiri wanted to sell Reston Limousine's fleet of limousines because they were no longer money makers. A majority of the company's contracts were with the federal government and required bus and van service. The limousines, it seemed were only active on weekends and during prom season.
But his wife, Kristina Bouweiri, had other ideas. She began offering limousines service to charities for auctions. In addition, she offered the vehicles as free transportation to such organizations as the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, Reston Interfaith and the Children's Inn at NIH, a residential medical facility for children and their families receiving care from the National Institutes of Health.
And Bouweiri's sense of community outreach does not end in the Northern Virginia region. She is working with other limousine services to create a nationwide network to provide transportation services to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
"I like to focus on children's charities," Kristina Bouweiri said. "So now the limousines are mostly for charity."
Because of the company's dedication to charity, which comes to about $100,000 worth of services and 1,500 man-hours per year, it was recently named one of the "Best of Reston."
THIRTEEN YEARS AGO, William Bouweiri split from his business partner in a Washington D.C. limousine service and decided to create his own company in his home town of Reston.
Reston Limousine's first office was above Clyde's restaurant at the Reston Town Center, and the fleet of two limousines often parked in the spot now occupied by the ice rink.
The following year, 1991, he married his wife, Kristina Bouweiri, who was born in Japan while her parents were in the foreign service. The Bouweiris met 11 months before, when Kristina tried to sell William advertising space on the maps given out at hotels.
Together, the couple worked 24 hours a day, seven days a week to build the company. Today, the business has a fleet of 100 vehicles ranging from Lincoln Town Cars to a used school bus, about 200 employees and was ranked 45th of the top 50 livery companies nationwide by Limousine & Chauffeured Transportation, a trade magazine, and No. 1 in Virginia.
William Bouweiri has since decided to step back a bit from the business, making Reston Limousine only one of two company's on the magazine's list to be run by a woman.
"We have four kids and he's kind-of a stay-at-home dad now. He's just a phone call away," Bouweiri said. "He lived in poverty in Lebanon and at 16 moved to Saudi Arabia to work in construction. He sent his entire paycheck home."
William Bouweiri eventually saved enough money to bring his entire family to America, where he settled in Reston.
By contrast, Kristina Bouweiri lived in Japan, Brazil, Portugal, Mozambique and South Africa before returning to the United States at 18 to attend George Washington University. After graduation, she returned to Africa, doing nonprofit work in Somalia. She speaks four to five languages.
The couple now raises their four children — including twins—ages 6, 5 and 3 in a home they built in Leesburg. They are also building a new complex on three acres of land to house their limousine service near the Dulles Town Center mall.
"THEY ARE VERY SPECIAL to us," said Suzanne Oberlander, special projects/activities manager for the Children's Inn. "It takes so little to bring a smile to a child's face and this brings big smiles. This is a Godsend to us."
Once a month, Reston Limousine chauffeurs a family from the Inn of up to six people for a day anywhere they want to go in the metropolitan area. The typical request is to see the sights of Washington D.C. Oberlander said the Inn draws families from all 50 states and from 58 countries. Often times, the monthly trips are the family's only nonmedical experience during their stay.
"We give the kids disposal cameras and they take pictures of themselves at all the sites," Oberlander said. "It gets the families out."
The company's commitment to community outreach began as a result of a low bank account.
"When we were starting out, we couldn't give money, so we offered transportation," Bouweiri said. "They're used for auction items at charity events. Three hours in a limousine is about equal to $200 and it is often merged with dinner somewhere."
Sometimes, however, larger accommodations are needed and Reston Limousine rolls out the vans and buses. Recently, the company provided all the transportation services for the performers at the International Children's Festival in September, including pick up at the airport, shuttle service to and from the hotel and Wolf Trap Farm Park for the Performing Arts for practices and performances, and shopping and sightseeing trips.
"They ended up being one of our underwriters, which are people who contribute $10,000 or more," said Toni McMahon, executive director of Arts Council of Fairfax County. "It was a seven-day job. They are just the greatest to work with."
McMahon said in the past, the council had to pay for transportation and this past year was faced with having to cut the festival's budget.
"They came in at a very good time," she said. "They are already signed up for next time."