Two decades. A fifth of a century. However you cut it, 20 years is a long time. In 2001, when the first Premier Parking facility was launched in Nashville, the Nokia cell phone was the hot commodity, the first Harry Potter film had just been released, and Friends was still airing on TV. The fact that we are now closer to 2030 than we are to 2001 is something that few can wrap their head around. Yet here we are, 20 years later.
When it comes to Premier, a lot has changed for us as well. From operating a single surface lot in downtown Nashville to now operating in 56 cities nationwide with over 600 locations, suffice to say a lot has happened in our 20-year history. However, the most extraordinary thing is…it’s only just the beginning.
Technology is perhaps the biggest development in the past 20 years, from the Nokia to the iPod to the iPhone – all 13 versions at this point – and Premier has been no exception.
While we have been at the forefront of adopting technology from the beginning, it is our partnership with Metropolis that we launched in April 2021 that has truly set us apart. Metropolis is a LA-based technology company that we joined forces with to revolutionize the way people experience parking. Using a system of computer-based vision technology, gates and tickets have been rendered obsolete. Now all customers need to do is drive in and drive out. Sign-up only occurs at your initial visit and then it’s easy-breezy parking from then on. This technology puts customers back in the drive seat when it comes to parking. There is no need for pesky gate arms, pulling tickets, or standing in line for the meter. With locations now enabled in Nashville, Austin, Detroit, Houston, and more to come in the coming months, we are excited for this next chapter in our company’s history.
At Premier, we aren’t just one thing. We are imaginative and analytical. We are team players and leaders. We operate with a small business mindset on a widespread scale. Yes, we are parking, but we are so much more. From healthcare to hospitality to our cruise parking division, we are equipped to step outside the traditional bounds of parking. While we may have a variety of different divisions, we are committed to understanding and excelling in every sector in which we purposefully step. We are committed to our customers and clients, and believe that it is our responsibility to go above and beyond what they have come to expect from a parking company. It says so right in our mission statement. “To disrupt what it means to be a parking operator.”
Premier is made up of passionate and dedicated people who push themselves and those around them to be better. In our executive team alone, you can find individuals who started as valet drivers, account managers and accountants who have worked their way up the ladder to positions of leadership.
Our CEO Ryan Hunt is the perfect example of what Premier stands for. Ryan started his journey at Premier in 2006 as an Account Manager in Nashville. After relocating to Texas, Washington, Oklahoma, and Colorado to establish Premier in those markets, he moved back to Nashville to be the company’s Chief Operating Officer and later President. In 2019, Ryan became Premier’s second CEO in the company’s history. Ryan is just one of the many success stories you will hear at Premier. It’s because of the people behind the parking that we have reached our 20th birthday, a truly incredible milestone for any company.
We want to thank everyone who has helped make this company what it is today – from our employees, past and present, to our wonderful customers and clients, we couldn’t have done it without you. A lot has happened in 20 years, but if you ask us…we’re only just getting started!