Mining City Taxi 227 E. Front St. in Butte Phone: 723-6511 Business history: Mary Garcia-Assmus had worked as a construction supervisor in the Great Falls area for 13 years when an interesting business opportunity presented itself. Her brother, Joe Garcia, had been operating Mining City Taxi in Butte for six years, and was looking to sell the business. Garcia-Assmus said she was tired of traveling for construction jobs and that the timing seemed right for a change.
"I came down here and looked at the books and worked for him for a week," she said.
She decided to buy the business from her brother and became the new owner of Mining City Taxi on March 6, 2006. "I moved down here and I took over," she said.
Garcia-Assmus said the transition from construction to a business that was always open was a challenge.
"It was tough at first," she said, recalling her first St. Patrick's Day in Butte as a wild ride with a mere 11 days experience as a taxi manager. After her initial "trial by fire," she made some changes in personnel and began upgrading her fleet of taxi cabs and things began to smooth out.
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Today, Garcia-Assmus operates three cabs — each averaging 40,000 miles per year.
The business is open 24/7, 365 days a year.
"We never close," she said.
Services and specialties: Based in Butte, Mining City Taxi provides standard, round-the-clock taxi service within a 50-mile radius of Butte. The business offers extended service to both the Bozeman and Helena airports, as well as providing transportation to and from the community of Dillon.
Mining City Taxi takes appointments for "time call" pick-ups of clients.
"They need to call in advance and we'll have somebody there at the time they need a ride," she said.
Garcia-Assmus said the business also contracts with Medicaid to provide authorized transportation for Medicaid recipients to doctor's appointments and medical treatments.
In addition to these services, Mining City Taxi partners with the Butte Silver Bow Tavern Association and Thompson Distributing Inc. in the "Home Safe" program. Through the program, Butte Silver Bow Tavern Association members keep taxi vouchers on hand for use by patrons who might find themselves intoxicated, providing them with a safe alternative to driving home under the influence. Garcia-Assmus said she also sells transportation vouchers to non-tavern association members, who wish to offer a similar service to their clientele.
Advice for others looking to start a business: Garcia-Assmus said that, to have a successful business, entrepreneurs should expect to work 70-80 hours per week for the first five years.
"You have to know what is going on with your customers, your workers and your income," she said She also said it was important for businesses to find a way to give back to the communities in which they do business.
Rewards and challenges of doing business: Garcia-Assmus said the rewards of owning her own business included knowing that she's benefitting directly from the business's success.
"I'm working for myself," she said.
Challenges include working 24/7. "The place never stops. You never know what's going to happen in this business," she said.
Garcia-Assmus said managing her staff and setting schedules to ensure coverage around special events in town was also challenging.
Has the ongoing recession affected your business?
Garcia-Assmus said she had not seen a drop in business since the recession hit.
"I've seen an increase, if anything," she said.
Future plans: Garcia-Assmus said reinvesting in a business was important, and she plans to add some hybrid vehicles to her fleet of taxis within a few years.
