Today we’d like to introduce you to Mike Floyd.
Hi Mike, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
The concept for The Whiskey Wagon began like all great ideas… at a local establishment over one too many ginger ales and iced teas. A friend of mine had just returned from a holiday trolly ride and said what a great time it was. Shortly after, during that same night, another friend of mine came in from a bachelor party saying how they wished they could have booked a party bus for the evening but there were none available for an affordable price. I saw both events happening on the same night as a sign that I may need to investigate further into the world of party buses.
After a few weeks of doing a small market study, I soon realized most of the party bus companies used the same exact buses, with the same exact business models. You could slap a different company name on the same bus and never even know the difference. This got my wheels turning… I had never once considered starting a party bus business, but it was clear there was a need for some new life to be breathed into the industry.
Coming from a background of woodworking and a love for good whiskey, I knew I wanted to incorporate these two passions into this new venture. I began searching online for buses for sale and soon found myself traveling to the deepest corners of the great state of Michigan to look at potential buses. During this search, I found myself in some very seedy and downright creepy locations where I was sure that I was going to disappear and never be seen again! After weeks of looking at various buses, I finally found the perfect one that I could build the business on in Toledo, Ohio.
I began converting the big yellow Twinkie into what is now The Whiskey Wagon at the beginning of 2023. It took around six months of blood, sweat, and tears, filled with all kinds of twists and turns. Turning a full-size school bus into a fully functional party bus is not for the faint of heart. When we finally finished the build, we were beyond proud of what we accomplished and couldn’t wait to start booking it out.
Since building and launching our first bus, we have been riding a freight train of momentum, determination and probably a touch of crazy to get to where we are today. We now have 7 busses, with one being the only karaoke bus in the state of Michigan (do yourself a favor and check out what this beast looks like!) We have built a massive loyal following with many repeat customers who will no longer use any other party bus but The Whiskey Wagon. We couldn’t be more proud of getting to where we are today and can’t wait for everyone to get to experience one of our amazing buses!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
When you’ve never built a party bus before or dealt with the mechanical issues of a huge diesel school bus, the learning curve can be quite steep and painful. I learned a lot about the troublesome emissions systems of modern-day buses and everything that goes into maintaining them to be road worthy. I stumbled upon an amazing diesel mechanic (Diesel Dave) after going to a truck car wash in Pontiac. He has been my go-to guy for any issues with the bus and has saved me from huge potential headaches.
I also had no idea that the bus would have to go through a lengthy, in-depth inspection process through MDOT. I reached out to the State inspector who walked me through everything I would need to change/modify or adjust in order to pass the inspection and get authorized for hired use.
We also had to go through the growing pains of firing drivers that were not up to our standards and hire the ones that we could build a successful business around. We now have an amazing group of professionals that are the face of the company when they are out driving our clients around.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
We are now one of the leading party bus businesses in the Metro Detroit area. This was accomplished by one booking at a time, treating every client like they are one of our closest friends. We offer our party buses for any and every event under the sun. From weddings, bachelor/bachelorette parties, birthday celebrations, concerts, sporting events, bar crawls and just about any other event you can think of, we do it all!
in late 2025, we completed and launched the only karaoke party bus in the state of Michigan. We have a fully functional, professional ASCAP certified karaoke system built into the bus. Clients can cruise around town and belt out their favorite tunes with their closest friends and family. The bus is an “open air” concept, where we cut the roof off and built a tall, metal roof that resembles a pavilion on wheels. We also incorporated vinyl, roll up windows that allow open access to the outside, so clients can interact with the city nightlife!
One of our proudest accomplishments, was starting a non-profit side of the business, named the “Wagon Warriors”. Having one of the only party buses in the area that has a fully functional wheelchair lift, allows us to provide a unique party bus experience to those with limited mobility, who would otherwise not be able to enjoy the experience. We provide a bus free of charge to those confined to wheelchairs or mobility scooters. Our first client was a young man named Bobby who was graduating from High School. We transported him to the graduation ceremony along with his family and it was an amazing experience. Helping out others in our community is one of the cornerstones of our business and we hope to grow the program year after year.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
When I started the business, I had a lengthy career with the Michigan State Police. As the company began to grow, it became very stressful trying to juggle a full-time law enforcement career while building a new business from the ground up. I knew I wouldn’t be able to sustain the heavy work/stress load for an extended period of time, so I made a very difficult but calculated decision to walk away from MSP and bet on myself and the business. This was a massive risk, but some of the hardest decisions for the future are often the most rewarding ones. I transferred my 401k from MSP into the business account and never looked back. “Your comfort zone will kill you”, is written on a large poster inside our shop, and I can proudly say I haven’t been “comfortable” in quite some time!
Pricing:
- 225/hr with a minimum of 4 hours
- 200/hr for 5 hours or more
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.wskywagon.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewhiskey.wagon?igsh=MXE4dXBxMmltMHYyeA==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWhiskeyWagonBus?mibextid=ZbWKwL
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@TheWhiskeyWagon-ik3be?si=JDIBgWF3ELMkmTIF
