By Moses Leos III

Dressed in sharp uniforms and showing customers a friendly disposition, the staff of veteran-owned and operated Buda Taxi Service live by one motto: go the extra mile. 

For owner Ivan Castellon, the enterprise goes beyond giving wounded vets a chance to bounce back. He wants to disprove negative connotations associated with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) — a condition that affects anywhere from 11 to 20 percent of military personnel.

“We want people to see veterans [with PTSD] working and going back into society and being productive in life,” Castellon said. 

His dream of helping veterans with PTSD began when he sought different avenues to replace military life. 

Castellon attended Austin Community College (ACC), where he focused on a marketing degree. 

But he felt he wasn’t challenged on his road back to society. He often felt things were handed to him – a feeling he believed many veterans shared.

That all changed when he got his culinary arts degree from the LeCordon Bleu Academy. Rigorous courses pushed him to do better. It sparked him to offer the same to fellow vets. 

“I wanted to show [veterans] that things are not given to you,” Castellon said. “A veteran can do everything [he or she] wants to.” 

The idea of a taxi service was born in 2008. At the time, Castellon witnessed a friend open a veteran-operated shuttle service in Round Rock. That enterprise helped ferry hotel guests where they needed to go. 

It was all done with veterans behind the wheel –  veterans from the Middle East conflicts, and some from Vietnam, many of whom suffer from PTSD. 

But he also wanted to give veterans a chance to adhere to military standards and values — something he thinks other returning service men and women long for when they leave the military.

Enforcing military style rules — including wearing uniforms and offering dedicated service – became the backbone of Castellon’s business. 

Protecting fellow veterans from themselves was the reason. He feels “the brotherhood” among vets helps them push beyond the PTSD “bubble.”  

“I tell my drivers, the more you are out there in society, that stress you have inside — the what ifs, or I can’t be around people — goes away,” he said.

 Following success in Round Rock, Castellon looked south to Buda.  His idea went into high gear when he learned that some shuttle services charged hotel guests as much as $85 for a trip to the airport.

“That’s highway robbery,” he said. 

Castellon began to work with area hotels, along with Buda Area Chamber of Commerce Managing Director J.R. Gonzales. 

It’s been a success ever since. 

Andrea Powers, director of sales at the Hampton Inn & Suites in Buda, said Buda Taxi’s proximity helped cut down on wait time for transport. The hotel calls on Buda Taxi at least five times a day and more on the weekends. 

“Every time we called a Yellow Cab, it [took] anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour to pick up our guests,” she said. “When we found out [Castellon] was local, he was here in five to ten minutes. It was an exciting moment.” 

She also said guests are often complimentary toward the drivers and vehicles at Buda Taxi. 

Castellon instills in his employees the power of friendly service, claiming that 95 percent of his firm’s patrons call back with compliments. 

While success is a driving factor, Castellon said the primary goal is not the financial benefit. 

So what is it?

He wants to show wounded veterans that PTSD doesn’t own them. 

“I tell my drivers to keep going forward, don’t look down,” Castellon said. “Keep marching forward. If you have doubt, we have to push and break down that barrier.”