Passengers ride aboard Sunway Charter’s comfortable 56-passenger commuter coaches

Sunway Charters has a reputation not just for great transportation services, but also for the culture they create within, and the caliber of the people they hire.

This issue, we highlight the indomitable team that is Sunway Charters – Jacksonville.

Heading up the Jacksonville terminal is Terminal Manager Erica Robinson. A native of the Jacksonville area, Erica attended Coastal Carolina Community College in Jacksonville in pursuit of a Criminal Justice degree. Getting her foot in the door of the transportation industry, Erica accepted a part-time position with Coach America in 2003, reviewing paper driver service logs, a job at which her detail-oriented mind excelled.

In 2006, Erica was promoted to a full-time administrative position with Coach America, where she happily settled for the next several years as the company changed hands several times over the next decade, helping to sustain the various changes to the company as they occurred.

At the inception of Sunway Charters’ 2015 acquisition of the company, owner Lee Helms saw something special in Erica and in 2016, offered her the opportunity to move into a management position within the company. While she had never really seen herself in this type of role, Erica feels that the experience and growth have been very beneficial to her on both personal and career levels. As she says, “Sometimes you just don’t know what you’re capable of until you’re pushed.  I have worked with some great mentors in this industry that have helped me get where I am today.”

Erica summarizes, “I love the business, I love Sunway. Lee Helms has been so good to us, and I love every team member we have here at Sunway. I couldn’t do what I do, and Sunway couldn’t do what it does if it wasn’t for each individual employee and the role they play here in the company. They are all important. I have wonderful customers that I get to deal with and build relationships with. It’s just amazing to hear the wonderful stories of their trips, their “Sunway” experience.”

We sure are glad she didn’t pursue that career in Criminal Justice!

While not managing the Jacksonville Sunway terminal, Erica loves to spend time curled up with a good book, attend her church, spend time with her best friend and husband, Thomas, and their four kids and grandchild, and most especially travel extensively with Thomas.

Another crucial member at the Sunway Charters’ Jacksonville terminal is Maintenance Manager and 22-year Marine Corps veteran, Dennis Beach.

Dennis began his career with the Marine Corps in 1982, where he began basic training in San Diego. During his time with the Marines, he trained as a Heavy Equipment Operator where he often was charged with having to fix his own equipment. He saw active duty in Operation Desert Shield / Storm, was deployed to numerous operations during his enlistment, including Fort Lejeune, NC, and finalized his military career at Marine Corps Engineer School in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri in 2004 at the rank of Gunnery Sergeant.

After leaving the military in 2004, Dennis returned to North Carolina where he soon found a position with Coach America as a wash rack supervisor. He was quickly promoted to Preventative Maintenance Mechanic. Over the years, he held positions within the changing companies as lot foreman, strom water supervisor, and underground storage tank supervisor as he continued to climb the ranks within the company until in 2018 when he was offered the position of Sunway Charters’ Jacksonville terminal maintenance manager.

In his spare time, Dennis enjoys spending time with his adult daughter, bicycling, reading a good science fiction or historical book, and getting engrossed in a great movie.

As Jacksonville is home to Marine Corps Camp Lejeune, Camp Geiger, and New River Air Station, Sunway Charters proudly transports our military service members on a weekly basis.

Sunway also holds a contract with Amtrak through its Jacksonville terminal to service two routes, 365 days a year.

Once buses arrive at the Amtrak station in Wilson, Sunway waits for the afternoon train and drops passengers off in the reverse of the routes above.

During the recent business shutdowns during 2020-2021, at a time when there was very little travel, Sunway’s maintenance department began offering its maintenance services to local companies. They now specialize in providing maintenance services to several local bus fleets, including Camp Lejeune school buses.

For more information on how we can assist you with your transportation or fleet maintenance needs, please contact Erica at erica@sunwaycharters.com or 910-577-4422.

Sunway Charters has a reputation not just for great transportation services, but also for the culture they create within, and the caliber of the people they hire. This issue, we highlight the impressive team that runs the Winston-Salem terminal.

As the Sunway Charters “school transportation central,” the Winston-Salem terminal is one of Sunway’s primary hubs for school trips. They also are well known for wedding and event transportation, utilizing both trolleys and motorcoaches. Winston-Salem can accommodate groups of many sizes, starting with their illustrious trolleys for up to 24 riders, their 38-passenger coaches, as well as full size 57 passenger motorcoaches, with options in between.

Winston-Salem, known as “Twin City”, is a growing city that exudes southern hospitality. So, whether you want to enjoy a Wake Forest game at the LJVM, catch a race at Bowman Gray, or a take a stroll through historical Old Salem, Winston-Salem has something for everyone!

Sunway Charters Winston-Salem – Specializing in:

• Midstate and Mountaineer east-west line runs.
• Motorcoach charters for sports teams and school trips.
• Coordination of convention transportation to local attractions, restaurants, and events.
• Airport transfers/shuttles for groups.
• Wedding and event transportation utilizing Sunway’s distinctive Trolleys or motorcoaches.
• Small and Large group movements.

You may also see a Sunway bus at large events such as High Point Furniture Market or shuttling students from campus to Wake Forest sporting events.

For more information on how we can assist you with your transportation needs, please contact Brittany at brittany@sunwaycharters or 336-767-1511.

As the corporate headquarters of Sunway Charters, the Charlotte never stops moving! Charlotte has the fleet diversity to cater to groups of many sizes, starting with 14-passenger minibuses, their illustrious trolleys, and all the way up to full size 55 passenger motorcoaches, with many other options in between.

Charlotte, also known as the Queen City, is constantly growing while still striving to bring that small town feel to a big city. So, whether you want to catch a Carolina Panthers game in Bank of America Stadium or do some shopping at SouthPark Mall, the city of Charlotte has something for everyone!

Sunway Charters Charlotte – Specializing in:

• Motorcoach charters for Sports Teams and School Trips.
• Coordination of convention transportation to local attractions, restaurants, events.
• Airport transfers/shuttles for groups and individuals.
• Wedding transportation utilizing Charlotte’s distinctive Trolleys
• Small and Large group movements

You may also see a Sunway bus at large events such as the Wells Fargo golf tournament or any Charlotte Hornets game, usually transporting the opposing team.

For more information on how we can assist you with your transportation needs, please contact Kendra at kendra@sunwaycharters or 704-348-1200.

Sunway Charter has a reputation not just for great transportation services, but also for the culture they create within and caliber of the people they hire.

As the largest charter bus provider on the “Grand Strand”, Sunways’ Myrtle Beach location is focused on meeting the needs of both the local clientele, such as schools, local sports teams, and church or club groups, as well as the very specific tourism market, which is made up of conventions, family reunions, visiting sports teams, military reunions, and golf outings, to name a few.

The Myrtle Beach area is known as the “Grand Strand” because it contains 60 miles of coastline. Because there are so many attractions, it is not unusual for a group’s one-day itinerary to include time shopping at the outlets in North Myrtle Beach, a tour of Atalaya Castle, and a nature walk at Huntington Beach, dinner at one of the restaurants on the Marsh Walk in Murrells Inlet, then ending with a show at Barefoot Landing in the evening. This typical day for a visiting group might be more than 80 miles of travel.

Sunway Charters Myrtle Beach – Specializing in:

• Motorcoach charters for Family Reunions, Sports Teams, Schools, and groups.
• Coordination of convention transportation to local attractions, restaurants, events.
• Small and Large group movements.
• Shuttle moves along the Grand Strand.
• Airport transfers/shuttles for large and small groups.

For more information on how we can assist you with your transportation needs, please contact Terri at terri@sunwaycharters or 843-293-2100.

Adds five coaches and a new fixed-route service

The South was the only region of the country that had a positive net migration during COVID, according to North Carolina’s Office of State Budget and Management blog, citing the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2021 estimates.

Sunway Charters’ business expansion reflects the trend. Besides its Charlotte headquarters, Sunway operates locations in Winston-Salem, Jacksonville, NC, and Myrtle Beach, SC, and runs charters, golf tournament transportation, event, corporate and airport shuttles, school trips, military transport, and more, including its expanding daily scheduled commuter service for NCDOT.

Sunway’s success began with Lee Helms’ entrepreneurial spirit and an ability to spot opportunities in other territory.

A Charlotte native, Helms worked for his father’s insulation company in his teens, where he would be up in hot attics of homes for hours as an insulation installer and later as an electrician. While Helms had other career plans, “the work ethic stuck,” he said. As an adult, he entered the bar and restaurant business, opening his own place in his mid-twenties, while serving as a Reservist in the Air National Guard. A decade later, he joined the corporate world becoming a sales leader for a national foodservice distributor.

His entry into the charter bus industry began when his cousin, who owned a tour operation, won a contract in 1999 to manage a golf tournament at North Carolina’s Pinehurst and called on Helms for help.

“We managed a big crowd,” recalls Helms, who continued to work with his cousin in management, booking school travel and bringing customers back after 9/11.

By 2002, Helms was the owner of a small trolley business in Charlotte, North Carolina. In 2004, he was ready to move beyond trolleys when he purchased his first coach, an MCI F3500 that was the last to roll off the company’s Sahagun, Mexico assembly line.

But by 2011, Helms was looking to accelerate the growth of his business when he found Sunway Charters & Tours, a small coach company in Myrtle Beach, SC, for sale. After buying Sunway, Helms began by changing the name of his company from Trolleys of the Carolinas to Sunway Charters. The acquisition added casino trips, cruise ship runs, and cross-country tours.

In 2015, Helms doubled his current territory and expanded his fleet by acquiring North Carolina’s Horizon Coach Lines, which was struggling at the time. With the purchase, he gained Horizon’s Charlotte, Winston-Salem, and Jacksonville locations along with their scheduled service operations. Sunway’s fleet went from 20 vehicles to 100 overnight.

“I knew we could turn the business around,” said Helms. “We already had our Charlotte location, so we sold theirs along with some equipment and kept the scheduled service operation with North Carolina DOT intact and ran that through COVID which really helped us.”

Sunway connects communities by operating intercity bus service from its Winston-Salem and Charlotte locations.  In partnership with NCDOT, these services give people a comfortable and affordable alternative to driving between major cities throughout the state.

Sunway operates the Mountaineer East/West intercity bus service from its Winston-Salem location for Boone, Wilkesboro, Hamptonville, and Greensboro. Its Charlotte location serves the Mountaineer North/South route for service in Gastonia, Lincolnton, Hickory, Lenior, and Boone.

Each of Sunway’s locations also has its specialty. The Charlotte location provides service for the NBA, several city tour organizations, and they are the official transportation provider for the Charlotte Sports Foundation. Winston-Salem works with Wake Forest Football, local universities Greek-life, and the High Point Furniture Market.

Jacksonville supports Amtrak in providing “thru-way” service in the eastern parts of North Carolina. They also are heavily involved in military moves for nearby bases. Myrtle Beach is the official transportation provider for the Myrtle Beach Pelicans while also partnering with Hilton Grand Vacations to provide shuttle service to their excursions.

Helms’ early success at Pinehurst also kept Sunway building a niche and gaining a reputation as a quality transportation provider for golf tournaments. Sunway serves the Wells Fargo Championship, traditionally held in Charlotte, NC; annually transports the players and their families during the Augusta National Women’s Amateur in Georgia; and provides transportation for other PGA tournaments throughout the South and even the Northeast. Sunway coaches helped carry crowds to 2022 U.S. Open Championship at The Country Club in Brookline, MA, held in June.

Helms says, “It’s important to have a good CFO, who brings clarity to financial matters, and for me to understand each person and put them in the right job, so everyone is doing what they are supposed to do.”

Sunway rewards employees for jobs well done with annual pay increases and increased hourly rates for drivers to help offset the pandemic strain.

Based on social media feedback from customers, Helms’ approach encourages team members to dedicate themselves to the safety and comfort of Sunway’s passengers. Glowing reviews about Sunway driver Shameeka Simpson, who became like family to a group traveling to Charleston, SC, has made her one of the company’s most-requested drivers.

Sunway also gets high marks from customers for stepping in on the occasional hiccup with other carriers or assuring groups during severe weather conditions that Sunway will always stand ready to transport them safely.

Active within the bus industry for two decades, Helms served as President of the North Carolina Motorcoach Association from 2018-2021. Under his leadership, they began having an annual meeting between neighboring states’ associations to increase regional networking opportunities and provide cost-effective vendor participation.

Helms also serves on the board of the Motor Coach Association of South Carolina and is an active member of the North Carolina, Virginia, and New York motor coach associations and the United Motorcoach Association (UMA).

“I am dedicated to improving the efficiencies and resources for the industry,” said Helms. “I enjoy building businesses. I have a knack for it.”

In 2018, Sunway Charters was named in METRO Magazine’s Top 50 Operators as the 25^th largest operator in the nation and continues to climb.