T-R PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY Husband and wife duo Patrick Charles and Erica Madison are the owners and co-founders of E&P Cabs and Delivery Service, which launched on Monday and serves Marshall and Tama counties.

In the decade plus they’ve been in Marshalltown, Erica Madison and her husband Patrick Charles have floated all sorts of ideas about launching their own business — considering everything from a skating rink to a lawn care service to a clothing store to a Chicago-style eatery — but for the longest time, nothing stuck.

Madison recalls conversations with local Realtor Kelli Thurston, who she would bounce suggestions off of, before finally, a few months back, they had their eureka moment.

“I just ran downstairs. I was like ‘I know what we can do!’ We already know how to drive, let’s just do a cab service,” Madison said.

Charles and Madison noticed a shortage of cab and delivery services in the area, especially after 6 p.m., and they saw a golden opportunity to fill the void.

“It was her idea. I give her most of the credit,” Charles said of his wife. “She did the majority of the legwork… It worked out in the long run.”

Madison, who still works full time at the Central Iowa Juvenile Detention Center in Eldora, came by it practically: she used to deliver for DoorDash and often saw people walking around town struggling to find rides. After conducting a community survey, she determined there was sufficient support for a new service, and E&P was born.

“I was like ‘You know what? I could just do this myself.’ What’s a thing that we’re good at? Driving,” she said.

Since it launched on Monday, E&P has been operating with three drivers from 6 a.m. to 3 a.m. daily but by appointment only on Mondays and Tuesdays as both Charles and Madison are still working full time jobs while the business finds its footing. Things seem to be off to a good start, though, as they’ve already established rapport with several regulars and repeat riders.

The primary service area is Marshall and Tama counties, but they are willing to drive customers further — to Des Moines, for example — as long as they’re willing to pay the fare. In addition to cold hard cash, E&P will also accept credit/debit cards and Zelle, a mobile payment app.

“We’re trying to move with the times. We understand that everybody’s not carrying cash,” Charles said.

E&P isn’t just a cab service as they will also pick up food, medication, groceries and other goods as part of the delivery side of things. Long term, Charles and Madison see E&P as a springboard toward a larger portfolio of businesses, and they’d love to launch an app of their own and expand into other states. Getting off the ground has come with its share of challenges — Madison, for one, was surprised by the cost of insurance for her cabs — but they’re doing the best to start small and set realistic goals for the near future.

Once they get their dealer’s license, the couple hopes E&P can offer specialty services like limousines for kids going to prom and party buses, and as they explore other opportunities, they’d love to provide more activities for residents of all ages.

“We’ve got a lot of ideas that we want to build off of this first business. We have a lot of things that we’re still thinking of. This is just the starting point. This is not the end,” Charles said. “We’re trying to make sure that Marshalltown has a little bit of everything.”

As Marshalltown positions itself for growth and reinvigoration, having a late-night cab service is crucial to accommodating live entertainment and outings, whether they’re within the community or at nearby venues like the Meskwaki Casino. It’s also a lifeline for people who need crucial goods and services but may not otherwise be able to access them.

“Services like what this company will provide are absolutely crucial to continuing our community’s growth. The support they can provide in getting people to critical appointments, a backup for when a car breaks down and you need to get to work, or a young professional looking to make the responsible decision on a weekend night to get home safely, these services are necessary as a part of our quality of life,” Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce President/CEO John Hall said.

E&P can be reached at (641) 387-0196, and the company’s website is https://eandpcabsanddeliveryservicellc.godaddysites.com. Their email address is eandpcabseservice@gmail.com.

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Contact Robert Maharry

at 641-753-6611 ext. 255 or

rmaharry@timesrepublican.com.