SPECIAL REPORT
Customer Care and Integrity Drive Family Businesses Toward Success
By Michelle Fisher Family businesses are sewn into the very fabric of the U.S. of A.,
so it’s no surprise that they are common in the industry behind the emblematic yellow school bus. Several family-owned operations have roots stretching back
into the 20th century and have witnessed many changes. But all agree that personalized customer service is the key to success and longevity. Dale Krapf of Krapf Bus Companies said the company his par-
ents George and Eleanor founded in 1942 still maintains two of its original contracts. “We’ve just had a nice steady growth situation over the years,”
said Dale, who joined the company full-time in 1967, followed by brother Dallas. Dale’s son, Blake, is president and CEO of the school bus division, son Gary is president of the charter and tran- sit division and son Brad is president of the Delaware division, which includes school buses and charter. Dallas attributes the company’s success to its people-oriented
approach. “It’s about providing excellent service and commit- ment to the community, along with open communication and respect for our drivers,” he said. Based in West Chester, Pa., Krapf Bus currently serves nearly
25 school districts, according to Blake, who echoed his uncle. “As a family-owned business, we’re small enough to react quickly to our customer’s needs but large enough to benefit from econo- mies of scale financially,” Blake said. Reid Oyster of Apple Bus Company in Kansas City, Mo., said his
father, Mike, worked in the school bus industry for three decades before starting his own business in 2000. “He liked the idea of a family-owned business atmosphere —
he liked the customer-centered business model,” Reid said of his dad’s reasons for breaking out on his own. Apple Bus started out with one location, he explained, and now has 30. Although its customers’ fleets range from one to 100 vehicles, Reid said all of them receive the same “personal touch.” “We take our time to go down there and sit with the superinten-
dent and train the driver... Tat’s really become our niche,” explained Reid. “In the entire history of Apple, we’ve had one contract go to bid after we received it. Just one. To only lose one in a bid process, I think, shows the level of service we provide to customers.”
THE MORE FAMILY, THE MERRIER Sue Weaver, who took the reins of BESI Inc. after her father
passed away, enjoys working with her engineer husband, Lorne, and daughter, Brittany, who oversees sales and marketing. In 1975, Bill Moore founded the company in Hamilton, Ohio., out of his garage. Tree decades later, it has evolved into a leading
32 School Transportation News Magazine November 2011
Several Hays family members still work at REI, founded by grandfather Clyde, including Scott and Jeff Hays and their sisters, Lorri Taylor and Terri Jukes, as well as Terri’s husband, Guy. They are pictured above with their families, just a few of the many aligned with the industry.
manufacturer of seat covers and passenger securement systems. “Our claim to fame was the innovation of the Velcro seat
cover,” Weaver said, adding that BESI has kept pace with the changing student transportation industry by “knowing what changes are happening and how it’s going to affect the product that we make.” Weaver also said she takes pride in maintaining the values of
honesty and fairness her father instilled in her, with vendors, BESI’s customer base and its employees. “What’s special is that, at the end of the day, the work that you do means something and it matters more,” she said. “It’s extremely rewarding.” Brandon Billingsley, president of OEM supplier Heavy Duty Bus
Parts, said the legacy his grandfather left behind can be summed up in one word: integrity. After starting his own business in 1965, L.B. Billingsley was instru-
mental in the invention of the universal axle bend, Brandon said. L.B. and Brandon’s father, Don, were also among the first to build seat covers for school buses and to introduce onboard video surveillance. “I would love to have the opportunity to work just one day in
my adult life with my grandfather,” said Brandon. “Tat said, my fa- ther had an entirely different skill set, and he and I complemented each other very well. When he retired, I really began to appreciate how much he did for this company.”
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