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Barr Engineering: City Smooth A great urban role player

By Chevrolet

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Entrepreneur
Mike Buongiorno

Recently, Chevy and Entrepreneur got together to give mobile entrepreneurs across a range of business types the opportunity to test the Chevy City Express LT in real-world conditions. The following is just one example of what these business owners experienced.

According to vice president of operations Mike Buongiorno, Barr Engineering, in Santa Fe Springs, California, has been in business since 1965. In 1980, Mike's father, Sal Buongiorno, who'd been in air conditioning repair for larger firms, bought the company. Today, Barr and its 30 employees perform a wide range of HVAC-related functions, from providing certified HVAC maintenance and emergency repair to complete design-build assignments.

A solid urban performer

One thing that stood out to Buongiorno during his turn behind the Chevy City Express's wheel was what a good city vehicle it is. "We do a lot of work in Los Angeles and the surrounding areas. While L.A. isn't the same as New York City, it's still an urban environment and the Chevy was great," he says. "Its drivability is excellent, visibility is great—especially with the backup camera—and the mileage is cost-effective. That last part matters for a company like ours, where we have large territories and put upwards of 30,000 miles per year on our vehicles. While we've recently had low gas prices, we know they're climbing up. It's also a great size for either putting it on the street or maneuvering in parking structures, and the double doors and low ground clearance make loading and unloading easy."

Where it fits

Buongiorno notes that, for a company in his industry with several divisions, the Chevy City Express would be a good fit for intermediate jobs. "While you need bigger vehicles for full-blown installations, the Chevy would be ideal for follow-up and maintenance work," he states. "If you have finish work that needs to be done, filter maintenance, and service, it would work well there."

In terms of his own people, he found that his control people—those who install and maintain all the electronic systems related to HVAC systems—had a lot of interest in the vehicle. "These are guys that carry a lot of electronics and computer parts with them and need good "mobile offices.' They do a lot of back and forth to their vehicles and do a great deal of remote testing on the fly, so the Bluetooth connectivity and power ports are great for them. Add some ladder racks and storage compartments and it can do the job well."

When you own a small business, the road to success can be challenging. But with a reliable partner like the Chevy City Express small cargo van, you can be on the go 24/7, tackling a wide range of tasks. Whatever the job requires, the City Express is built with the perfect form and functionality required to get your job done. With a range of conveniences including 122.7 cubic feet of cargo space*, EPA-estimated 24 mpg city, work-ready features, and a mobile office, the City Express is the small cargo van for businesses with everyday jobs. To learn more about how Chevy City Express can drive the success of your business, visit www.chevrolet.com/cityexpress.

*Cargo and load capacity limited by weight and distribution.