Chip Thompson: Driving force behind Atlantic Transportation

Chip Thompson always had an interest in sales/promotion, and a special place in his heart for Rehoboth Beach. Having grown up here, Chip graduated from Washington & Lee University and came back to the area to start a business. While sitting in the theater at Movies at Midway one day, he noticed the few advertisements about refreshments and safety guidelines. He thought to himself, “The movies have a captive audience for potential advertisers.” He approached Richard Derrickson, the theater’s owner, with the idea of focusing the advertising on local businesses. Derrickson immediately liked the idea and Chip launched his first venture selling advertisements.

As Chip marketed the movies to local businesses, he continued to think of other ways he could promote the area. By happenstance, he and a friend were at a cocktail party where they struck up a conversation with an MBNA executive. They mentioned an idea to promote local communities on MBNA’s credit cards, and the two were given the opportunity to approach the executive team at MBNA with the idea. Dressed in casual beach attire, including flip-flops, he and his partner made their way to a meeting of MBNA executives, who were dressed in suits and ties, and presented the idea of an affinity card. The executives loved the idea and subsequently signed a five-year partnership agreement with Chip. Chip signed up the towns of Rehoboth Beach, Lewes, Bethany/Fenwick, Dewey Beach, and organizations like Rehoboth Beach Main Street and CAMP Rehoboth. Every time an MBNA credit cardholder used their affinity card, a small fee would go to those communities/organizations. The cardholder not only purchased goods and services for themselves, but would also benefit a local community or organization of their choosing. The business started to take off, but then the financial crisis hit. MBNA sold out to Bank of America, and the affinity program became a victim of the merger.

Undeterred, Chip began to think about other possibilities. He ran some ideas by his good friend, Steve Montgomery, and they decided to pursue a transportation business. There were several transportation services in the area, but the duo saw the opportunity to create something larger, with a diversified customer base. Teaming up with the owner of Bayside Limousine, they founded Atlantic Transportation in 2013. With an aggressive marketing approach, they were able to double Bayside’s prior year’s sales in just their first full year of operation.

Over time, Atlantic Transportation has grown from nine vehicles to 16. They have also grown from a business focused on transportation to and from events such as weddings, sports venues, and local restaurants and bars to a diversified transportation service. They now shuttle people who live in residential communities to shopping and entertainment venues. Additionally, they transport members of the military who land at Dover Air Force Base to commercial airports or other military bases in the region. But the road to success was not without its challenges.

In March 2020, the COVID pandemic struck, and Atlantic Transportation took a major hit. Sales in April 2020 declined 94%, 86% in May, and another 78% in June. All transportation needs, except for DAFB, had vanished. A meeting Chip had initially scheduled with his staff to talk about new cleaning procedures turned into a layoff announcement for nearly every employee. With no other options, it was the most gut-wrenching decision of Chip’s career. Chip helped each of his employees file for unemployment and aggressively pursued those governmental programs that were available to help struggling businesses. Chip’s mantra during those challenging times was, “Survive, then thrive,” with the idea that he knew one day the business would be back. Fortunately, Chip was able to rehire all employees by April 2021, and business has seen an upward trajectory since then. 

Chip learned some important lessons from COVID. First, the idea of believing in himself and his team with the resiliency to see beyond the immediate crisis. Second, Chip was fiercely loyal to his employees during those difficult times. Their reciprocal loyalty has created a workplace culture at Atlantic Transportation that all businesses would like to have.

As Chip looks to the future, he sees bright days ahead for Atlantic Transportation. He credits key members of his team, including Russell and Melody Bowser and Denise Bernardo for building the infrastructure that will enable Atlantic Transportation to continue to grow and thrive. Chip is also a great proponent of gratitude. He’s grateful for his family, his employees, his customers, and the community that has been there to support him. Chip knows well there are no guarantees. But having survived the near-loss of his business, he knows that with his dedicated team, they can deal with any challenges that come their way.