Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrew Girges, his team, and their story:
This is the story of Andrew Girges and the founding of Green Motion Car & Van Rental / Omni Airport Parking Orlando
Born to Egyptian immigrant parents and the oldest of 3 boys, Andrew Girges grew up in the suburbs of Orlando, FL. From a very young age, Andrew can see how hard and perseverant his parents worked to make ends meet and to provide a decent upbringing including some private schooling at a young age. Andrew aspired to one day help provide for the family and be able to enjoy an American-family lifestyle including but not limited to simple things such as family barbecues and vacations which were merely a dream growing up. Andrew’s father Sameh Girges is an entrepreneur and was a one-man show in his businesses between 1995 and 2009. Girges was the owner and operator of 2 gas stations in the Kissimmee area, where the rental car & truck operation began forming its roots as a second stream out of the gas stations. Eventually, the gas stations were sold, and the Girges family were exclusively in the car rental business, starting with 10 cars. As the years went by, the fleet hovered around 50-60 vehicles. The market crash in 2009 mixed with what was a case of “failure to innovate” within the business, was almost the demise of the Girges family business. Andrew was quick to notice the financial decline of the family business while applying for college and began taking the steps in helping the family navigate the storm. A few years went by and after many trials and errors, the Girges family caught a big break in 2013. As a result of networking and developing relationships, the Girges family secured 25 acres on Narcoossee Road to establish a park & fly operation and expand the car rental brand through e-commerce. By December 2013, Andrew had dedicated himself to the family business, by 2016 the Girges family headed by Andrew were operating a 24-hour airport parking operation, with over 1,500 rental vehicles in inventory and 100 employees. In the present time 2022, Andrew has diversified the business by establishing a dealership division of the corporation to off-load and resell used rental cars coming off-rent. Also in 2022, Girges’ parking division is establishing the first EV-charging stations on Narcoossee Road to service airport parking clients and the public. This project is also necessary as Girges moves towards electrifying the rental car fleet. Green Motion and Omni Airport Parking Orlando aspire to become major contributors to the city of Orlando and give back to the community in any way.
We all face challenges but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road to success is never smooth. It’s like a mountain hike of mixed emotions and heartbreaks. Working with family can be challenging, but everybody eventually comes together and realize that we play for the same team, and we want the best for the company. Heartbreaks derive from established relationships with staff that you win with and break bread with over disrespect, theft, or abuse of trust. Every heartache comes with a lesson, and you have to learn from it, and simply train your brain to anticipate these kinds of things from ANYONE.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Green Motion Car & Van Rental / Omni Airport Parking Orlando?
The vision of our brand is to be able to accommodate the public with affordable, convenient, and 0 emission mobility.
We do this through our car rental and airport parking brand. Currently, there is not much government incentive regarding EVs, however, we know it’s in the works and we are actively working on lowering our emissions.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
If you asked 10-year-old Andrew what he wanted to do when he grew up, the answer would have been an NBA player.
