Collette Vacations Turns 95
Alice I. Sullivan, matriarch of the family-owned Collette Vacations, takes a look back at her family's experience in a company rich with history.
"I was home with six kids, and eventually seven… we didn't have much. But Dan absolutely had ambition, vision and believed in himself. He had a lot of energy. He was over 40 at the time he purchased Collette. Everybody - family, all our friends - thought he was nuts! At that age, to make that leap, you're taking a big gamble. But he did ask me first," she recalls. "He knew that if he were going to do this, it had to be something we both signed off on."
She smiles and looks out at the Blackstone River, just upstream from where the Industrial Revolution began in America - a pretty fitting location for a company that has been innovative from day one.
"Our first office was so tiny that if you took a step backwards you fell down an open hole that was stairs to the basement! Now we're in two buildings and have offices in Canada and the United Kingdom!"
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Collette moved his business to Providence in 1927, settling into an office at the New England Transportation Company Terminal. His service quickly became a major ticket office for all types of motorcoaches.
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The Sullivans already had a proud history in transportation - Dan's father and his uncles were railroad conductors. "The reason Dan didn't go into the railroad business too was because he was color blind!" Alice recalls. "His dad stood behind him when he took the test and saw he was getting the answers all wrong. If he wasn't color blind, he would have been on an entirely different life path and probably wouldn't have purchased Collette."
Dan ran the passenger operations in the South Station, Boston location until the company was purchased by George M. Sage in 1958, when Dan became transportation manager for Sage's Short Line Bus Company. Sage's company supplied buses for Jack Collette's tours. Over the years, Jack and Dan became good friends. When Jack was 70 years old, someone made him an offer on the business. When Dan heard, he knew he couldn't stand back and watch it go to a stranger.
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"Our parents were pretty conservative, so they thought he was crazy." Dan's sister, Betty Sullivan remembers. "They couldn't see why he would leave a good job to do this. But the opportunity was there and he took it."
"I really didn't worry about it, as some people probably would have," Alice says. "I knew he could manage. But then again - you never know! That first month they lost money. They were still learning the business. But Dan was a smart and determined man. He learned fast, worked hard, and after that first month, we weren't losing money anymore."
"From the very beginning, there was a sense of community about Collette," Alice remembers. "Our next door neighbor in Mansfield, Massachusetts was one of our first employees. neighbors knew us and knew the kids, and they'd often apply for work - especially work as tour guides. People were excited about what we were doing! My two sisters-in-law became tour guides, too. Eventually, they quit their jobs to work in the office full-time."
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Alice agrees. "I think the New York World's Fair marked a period of change in the industry. For us, it was a real turning point. Before that people didn't travel much. Working people just didn't have a lot of money," she recalls.
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"In the old days," Alice recalls, "he'd bring home the questionnaires about how people liked the tour, and I'd read them at home, watching TV. If something could be improved, we'd do everything to get it fixed. And that's the way it is today. It's been the philosophy since the beginning. You can always do better and move forward. Any company can. You should always be looking for ways to improve, and you should always honor and listen to customers."
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Many of the Mystery Tours eventually became regularly featured Collette programs. "It was hard to make up Mystery tours - there's only so far you can drive passengers for a 3-day tour," Alice remembers. "Our trip to Brandywine, Pennsylvania started as a mystery tour. It was so popular that we developed it into a regular tour. I had read an article about Brandywine and Longwood Gardens in Reader's Digest and mentioned it to Dan. It was a great destination and nobody was going there," Alice says. Now Brandywine is a Collette staple that continues to please clients year by year.
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Although the market for European travel was dominated by big companies, Dan Sr. had understood the market had immense possibilities. And his son, Dan Jr. understood how to make it happen.
Escorted tours to Europe began in the late 1970s, followed by Australia, China, Africa and Mexico in the 1980s. Dan Sr. turned the reins over to Dan Jr. in 1990, naming him president and chief executive officer, while he maintained a hands-on role as Chairman of the Board until he passed away in 2005.
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"My first trip to Europe was to Ireland in 1966. Every time I go back I see tremendous changes. The people were very poor then and they're the richest society in Europe now! It was Dan's absolute favorite destination," Alice says.
The Sullivans not only work together, they travel together, too. 1995, 40 members of the extended Sullivan clan celebrated that passion with a trip to Ireland, tracing their roots and meeting distant relations. Although the clan had travelled before and have since -- to Italy, Greece, Canada and Scotland -- the trip to Ireland was incredibly special to Dan Sr.
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The Sullivans decided it was time to formalize their approach to giving in 1997, with the establishment of the Alice I. Sullivan Foundation. The foundation provides grants for work with the homeless, youth mentoring and issues affecting the senior community. It also coordinates employee donations of time and talent.
It's amazing to think of how a $61.50 tour to Florida in 1918 could evolve into an organization whose reach now touches and enhances the lives of children in Peru. Collette Vacations launched the Collette Foundation in honor of the company's 90th anniversary. The Collette Foundation is an employee-run, global initiative connecting Collette employees, its partners, travelers and communities worldwide to improve the quality of life of children.
"You never know what life is going to bring you. I say thank you everyday," Alice remarks.
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"I just saw an interview with Warren Buffett - one of the wealthiest men in the world - and he made a comment that I thought was great. He invests in companies that have gone to the third generation. He remarked that if they make it to the third generation, they've done well. It resonated with me because I know that sometimes in the second generation, there's a lot of bickering and family members can't get past bitterness and arguing. Sometimes, it tears families apart. It's so hard to get there. But we're already here, and that's great. That is an amazing accomplishment and a show of our family's values and determination," she says.
"I can't believe this company that we purchased in 1962 celebrates 95 years this year. That is another amazing accomplishment that I'm immensely proud of. Looking back, we've come very far. Looking ahead, I see many more years of opportunity and family."
In the beginning
In their offices in an historic brick mill on the banks of the Blackstone River in Pawtucket, RI, Alice I. Sullivan recalls the day in 1962 when her husband purchased a small motorcoach touring company from a long-time friend who was looking to retire. At the time, the Sullivans had six small children, aged from infancy to 10."I was home with six kids, and eventually seven… we didn't have much. But Dan absolutely had ambition, vision and believed in himself. He had a lot of energy. He was over 40 at the time he purchased Collette. Everybody - family, all our friends - thought he was nuts! At that age, to make that leap, you're taking a big gamble. But he did ask me first," she recalls. "He knew that if he were going to do this, it had to be something we both signed off on."
She smiles and looks out at the Blackstone River, just upstream from where the Industrial Revolution began in America - a pretty fitting location for a company that has been innovative from day one.
"Our first office was so tiny that if you took a step backwards you fell down an open hole that was stairs to the basement! Now we're in two buildings and have offices in Canada and the United Kingdom!"
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Three Weeks, All Inclusive, $61.50
It all began in 1918, when Jack Collette took a jitney bus filled with travelers on a three week tour to Florida from Boston for $61.50. He offered regional tours and a ticketing service in Boston's Park Square. Soon he added April tours to Washington D.C., bringing New Englanders south for an early glimpse of spring. The $50 Cherry Blossom specials proved popular. More than a dozen buses made the trip each season.Collette moved his business to Providence in 1927, settling into an office at the New England Transportation Company Terminal. His service quickly became a major ticket office for all types of motorcoaches.
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Highways instead of Railways
A young Dan Sullivan started working for New England Transportation Company in 1945. Dan was coming home from a wartime commission in the Counter Intelligence Division, where he served under General George Patton.The Sullivans already had a proud history in transportation - Dan's father and his uncles were railroad conductors. "The reason Dan didn't go into the railroad business too was because he was color blind!" Alice recalls. "His dad stood behind him when he took the test and saw he was getting the answers all wrong. If he wasn't color blind, he would have been on an entirely different life path and probably wouldn't have purchased Collette."
Dan ran the passenger operations in the South Station, Boston location until the company was purchased by George M. Sage in 1958, when Dan became transportation manager for Sage's Short Line Bus Company. Sage's company supplied buses for Jack Collette's tours. Over the years, Jack and Dan became good friends. When Jack was 70 years old, someone made him an offer on the business. When Dan heard, he knew he couldn't stand back and watch it go to a stranger.
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The Sullivan Moxie
"I encouraged him," Dan's former boss, George Sage recalled in an interview before his passing in 2007. "Anyone with Dan's moxie who would start something with a young family to support, had to have tremendous foresight." Sullivan and his brother-in-law, Arthur McWilliam, bought the business in 1962."Our parents were pretty conservative, so they thought he was crazy." Dan's sister, Betty Sullivan remembers. "They couldn't see why he would leave a good job to do this. But the opportunity was there and he took it."
"I really didn't worry about it, as some people probably would have," Alice says. "I knew he could manage. But then again - you never know! That first month they lost money. They were still learning the business. But Dan was a smart and determined man. He learned fast, worked hard, and after that first month, we weren't losing money anymore."
"From the very beginning, there was a sense of community about Collette," Alice remembers. "Our next door neighbor in Mansfield, Massachusetts was one of our first employees. neighbors knew us and knew the kids, and they'd often apply for work - especially work as tour guides. People were excited about what we were doing! My two sisters-in-law became tour guides, too. Eventually, they quit their jobs to work in the office full-time."
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Motorcoach Travel Takes Off
"He bought it at exactly the right time because it was just before the World's Fair in 1964," Sage had said. "The New York World's Fair and the Montreal Expo of 1967 really got people in a traveling mood."Alice agrees. "I think the New York World's Fair marked a period of change in the industry. For us, it was a real turning point. Before that people didn't travel much. Working people just didn't have a lot of money," she recalls.
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The Sullivans got to work
"When the company was still very small, just six full time employees, Dan would walk to a neighboring shoe store and get old shoeboxes from the owner. We would use these instead of files for the tours to keep rooming lists, luggage tags, etc. He was such a hard worker," Betty Sullivan recalls."In the old days," Alice recalls, "he'd bring home the questionnaires about how people liked the tour, and I'd read them at home, watching TV. If something could be improved, we'd do everything to get it fixed. And that's the way it is today. It's been the philosophy since the beginning. You can always do better and move forward. Any company can. You should always be looking for ways to improve, and you should always honor and listen to customers."
Return to top
Mystery Tours
"We used to run Mystery Tours," Alice remembers. "They were three-day tours and passengers didn't know where they were going. People loved them! The people that continuously went on our mystery tours just wanted to travel with a loved one and wanted to travel with us."Many of the Mystery Tours eventually became regularly featured Collette programs. "It was hard to make up Mystery tours - there's only so far you can drive passengers for a 3-day tour," Alice remembers. "Our trip to Brandywine, Pennsylvania started as a mystery tour. It was so popular that we developed it into a regular tour. I had read an article about Brandywine and Longwood Gardens in Reader's Digest and mentioned it to Dan. It was a great destination and nobody was going there," Alice says. Now Brandywine is a Collette staple that continues to please clients year by year.
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A New Generation of Sullivans
As soon as the young Sullivans were ready, they helped in the business. By the 1970s the Sullivan children - Dan Jr., Gary, Karen, Kevin, Susan, Jerome and Lynne were entering the workforce. All the children worked at Collette in some capacity, and many are involved to this day.Although the market for European travel was dominated by big companies, Dan Sr. had understood the market had immense possibilities. And his son, Dan Jr. understood how to make it happen.
Escorted tours to Europe began in the late 1970s, followed by Australia, China, Africa and Mexico in the 1980s. Dan Sr. turned the reins over to Dan Jr. in 1990, naming him president and chief executive officer, while he maintained a hands-on role as Chairman of the Board until he passed away in 2005.
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Passion for Travel
"My favorite destinations have a lot of history and art. I don't like beaches; when I go away, I don't want to lay around. I want to explore!" Alice says of her extensive travel history. "Before we purchased Collette, I had only read about the world's great destinations. Now, I've been to Asia, Africa, Europe, Australia, South America and all throughout North America. It's been fantastic - all of it.""My first trip to Europe was to Ireland in 1966. Every time I go back I see tremendous changes. The people were very poor then and they're the richest society in Europe now! It was Dan's absolute favorite destination," Alice says.
The Sullivans not only work together, they travel together, too. 1995, 40 members of the extended Sullivan clan celebrated that passion with a trip to Ireland, tracing their roots and meeting distant relations. Although the clan had travelled before and have since -- to Italy, Greece, Canada and Scotland -- the trip to Ireland was incredibly special to Dan Sr.
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Global Travel and Global Giving
As the business grew, the family always remained grateful and always found ways to give back. "We used to have a committee and we'd give money here and there. There were three of us who would read letters and then we'd decide who to give to. Someone told us we'd be far better off giving larger amounts to fewer people. After all, we didn't have a lot to give, but we wanted to give what we could," Alice says, remembering the early days of giving back that would eventually lead to Collette's two philanthropic foundations.The Sullivans decided it was time to formalize their approach to giving in 1997, with the establishment of the Alice I. Sullivan Foundation. The foundation provides grants for work with the homeless, youth mentoring and issues affecting the senior community. It also coordinates employee donations of time and talent.
It's amazing to think of how a $61.50 tour to Florida in 1918 could evolve into an organization whose reach now touches and enhances the lives of children in Peru. Collette Vacations launched the Collette Foundation in honor of the company's 90th anniversary. The Collette Foundation is an employee-run, global initiative connecting Collette employees, its partners, travelers and communities worldwide to improve the quality of life of children.
"You never know what life is going to bring you. I say thank you everyday," Alice remarks.
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A Third Generation Rolls Up their Sleeves
As the third generation of Sullivans gets to work, Collette Vacations has offices in three countries and offers tours to all 7 continents, yet it is still very much a family business. Dan Jr. still finds time to lead a tour at least once a year. He just got back from leading a tour to Antarctica. "Each generation has brought a different vision; each generation thinks bigger," Alice exudes."I just saw an interview with Warren Buffett - one of the wealthiest men in the world - and he made a comment that I thought was great. He invests in companies that have gone to the third generation. He remarked that if they make it to the third generation, they've done well. It resonated with me because I know that sometimes in the second generation, there's a lot of bickering and family members can't get past bitterness and arguing. Sometimes, it tears families apart. It's so hard to get there. But we're already here, and that's great. That is an amazing accomplishment and a show of our family's values and determination," she says.
"I can't believe this company that we purchased in 1962 celebrates 95 years this year. That is another amazing accomplishment that I'm immensely proud of. Looking back, we've come very far. Looking ahead, I see many more years of opportunity and family."
Jack Collette
Old Cartoon
Dan Sullivan
In Military Uniform
Dan Sullivan
In Military Uniform
Washington, D.C.
Cherry Blossom Tour
Easter Holiday Tour
1929 Presidential Inauguration Tour
Washington, D.C.
Bus Tour
A Young Visionary:
Daniel J. Sullivan, Sr.
1968 New York
World's Fair Tour
1968 Tour to Ireland
Bus Trip Specials
A CEO in Training
Broad St. Location
Old Logo
Historical
Collette Brochures
1993 Travel
Agent Magazine
