ANAHEIM, Calif. — Maurice Brewster has learned that setbacks often create opportunities.
During his 24 years leading Mosaic Global Transportation, Brewster has seen contracts come and go. After any disappointment, he has challenged his team to look for the next opportunity, often finding something even bigger on the other side.
That approach paid off again this year.
Just one year after losing a contract worth at least $10 million to provide transportation services to a major Silicon Valley corporation, the San Jose-based company landed a new guest shuttle contract with Disneyland Resort, replacing the lost business and expanding Mosaic’s presence in Southern California.
The loss of the long-standing account, which played a major role in the company’s growth and helped establish its reputation in the employee transportation market, forced Brewster and his team to reduce staff, adjust operations and pursue a strategy built on smaller wins while seeking new opportunities.
“We built a great company. We got kicked in the gut. Now our job is to rebuild,” Brewster said.
Rather than waiting for another large contract to emerge, Brewster said the company focused on rebuilding one opportunity at a time.
“That’s when I went into never-give-up mode,” he said. “What do we do to correct it? What do we do to fix it?”
Building on past relationship
The Disney opportunity did not come out of nowhere.
Years before it acquired the guest shuttle operation, Mosaic built a relationship with Disney through a contract transporting cast members between remote employee parking facilities and the resort. The work gave Disney an opportunity to see how Mosaic managed operations, treated employees and delivered customer service.
When Anaheim Transportation Network, or ATN, announced it would cease operations March 31 of this year, Disney faced a critical challenge. For nearly three decades, ATN had supported mobility throughout the Anaheim Resort area for residents, employees and millions of visitors.
Disney needed a transportation provider that could continue moving thousands of guests each day without disrupting the resort experience.
“The relationship that we had was the one that made them feel the most secure,” he said.
That trust became critical when Disney asked Mosaic to take over the operation in just 45 days. The assignment was daunting.
“We had to purchase 30 vehicles, hire 75 employees, and had to put an infrastructure together in 45 days,” Brewster said. ”Yikes!”
A key part of the transition involved bringing aboard many former ATN employees, retaining experienced workers who already understood the resort’s service expectations and operating procedures.
According to Brewster, the decision was straightforward for many employees.
“It was a no-brainer,” he said. “They kept their jobs.”
The former ATN employees also brought valuable knowledge of Disney’s culture and customer-service expectations.
“The guests don’t know that Mosaic Global Transportation is driving them; they think Disney is driving them,” Brewster said. “We had to extend that courtesy and hospitality over to the guests.”
‘Proud moment’
Mosaic now operates the shuttle service transporting guests from the Toy Story Parking Area to Disneyland Resort, along with Disney’s cast-member shuttle operation.
The contract ranks among the company’s most significant accomplishments.
“One of the proudest moments in our 24 years in business was launching the new guest shuttle program for Disneyland,” Brewster said. “We now drive the amazing experience for the families and friends who need transportation to the Disneyland Resort, the happiest place on Earth.”
The achievement also completed an unexpected turnaround. After losing the major contract, Brewster told employees the company would focus on a three- to five-year rebuilding plan built on a series of smaller wins.
“My goal was to let them know that we’re good. We had to make some adjustments. We’ve made those adjustments. Now our job is to rebuild,” he said.
A year later, the company found itself operating one of the most visible transportation programs in the country.
Brewster said the experience reinforced the philosophy that has guided Mosaic since its founding.
“Treat people well, treat them like you want to be treated, pay them good wages, give them benefits and hope for the best,” he said. “That’s our culture.”
Looking back, Brewster said the lesson from the past year is the importance of how a company responds when circumstances change.
“It’s not about the contract,” he said. “It’s about the journey and how resilient we had to be.”
