Total Transit earned the The Spirit of Enterprise Innovation in Entrepreneurship Award this year at the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University’s prestigious Spirit of Enterprise Awards.

When Total Transit CEO Craig Hughes bought a small airport cab company in 1984, he had only ridden in a cab twice, never in Phoenix. Needless to say, he had to learn on his feet, and learn quickly.

He did, and today Total Transit is a cab company unlike any other. For starters, the company manages both public and private transportation services, including Discount Cab, express route and paratransit service for Valley Metro, and service for many of the largest Medicaid and Medicare providers in the region. It’s a model Total Transit hopes to see spread. “We are truly committed to integrating and managing public and private transportation services in a new way. Our goal is to create the most efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally responsible transportation network possible.”

One of Total Transit’s competitive differentiators is its transportation management system. “We have seven IT developers writing the software that keeps us competitive.” In the public arena, where governments are trying to do more with less, “efficient design, effective integration, and responsible management” are critical to maximizing taxpayers’ investments.

In an environment in which many transportation services companies are struggling, Total Transit has flourished, growing 25-35 percent annually over the last few years and set to grow more than 40 percent this year. That growth comes in part from the company’s commitment to its strategic plans, and in part from its stand-out customer service. “Phoenix is a unique market because customers choose who to call. People call us specifically because they know our high standards.”

Name of business: Total Transit, Inc.

Nature of business: Transportation services

Address: 4600 W. Camelback Rd. Glendale, AZ 85301

Web: TotalTransit.com

Founded: 1984

Number of employees: 300