INDUSTRY CONNECTIONS
Are They or Aren’t They? Carrier Transicold denied rumors in January that the company was inter-
ested in selling its product line for school bus climate control. “We’re in the business and we continue to support the business,” said a
Carrier spokesman. Carrier was founded by Willis Carrier in 1902 after he invented his “Ap-
paratus for Treating Air,” which was patented four years later as the first air conditioning system. Since then, Carrier has grown into a global company serving millions of people, businesses and governments in 172 countries on six continents around the world. Te company developed the first air condi- tioning system for skyscrapers in 1939 and in 1965 installed a ground-based environmental control system for the Apollo-Saturn V moon program. United Technologies Company acquired Carrier in 1979. In 1988, Carrier
became one of the first companies to set energy reduction goals for its fac- tories. Over the past decade, the company adds that it has reduced its air emissions by 76 percent, water usage by 52 percent on an absolute basis and greenhouse gas emissions by 33 percent.
Instilling a Culture of Safety Keller Online and OH&S Mag-
azine named Mike Strickland of Collins Bus Corporation the 2010 Safety Professional of the Year. Te company’s recordable injury rate fell by 47 percent and the Days Away, Restrictions and Transfers (DART) dropped by by 73 percent since Strickland joined the company in 2008. Te new safety culture he established
came in handy when three natural disasters struck the plant in South Hutchin- son, Kan. — heavy snow led to partial roof collapse, a microburst of 120 mph winds caused extensive damage and a lightning strike damaged several bus chas- sis. But no injuries resulted from the ensuing clean up and removal of shredded sheet metal and broken glass. “I have to credit the entire Collins team for their hard work, attention to
detail, and for embracing a ‘Culture of Safety,’” said Strickland. “As part of Allied Specialty Vehicles (ASV), Collins Bus Corporation adheres to Lean Manufacturing principles, which rely on employee engagement and a disci- plined approach to quality and safety improvements.” Strickland was scheduled to receive his award this month during a cer- emony at Keller’s headquarters in Neenah, Wis.
Remembering 20 Years Ago Tis September marks the 20th anniversary of issue No. 1 of School Trans-
portation News. To commemorate the occasion, we are planning a look back at the landscape of the industry as it was in September of 1991. Readers who have kept that magazine edition are invited to submit photos of them, as- sociates, friends or family reading that first magazine as well as the actual copy. What were you doing when the first magazine rolled out? Contact
ryan@stnonline.com for more information on how you can be a part of our 20th anniversary issue of the magazine! n
16 School Transportation News Magazine March 2011 ZPass by Zonar Systems was named a finalist for
the 2011 Edison Best New Products Awards in the category of Innovative Services for the health, well- ness and safety segment. Te Edison Awards honor excellence in new product and service development, marketing, design and innvoation. Nominations be- gan last September. Winners will be announced on April 5 during a gala in New York City sponsored by Discovery Channel, Nielsen, Rutgers University and the private investment firm Spencer Trask.
First Student launched a fuel solutions program
last year that offers consolidation, optimization and least-cost routing. Te program resulted from an agreement signed in 2010 between parent company FirstGroup and Mansfield Oil. Te five-year deal will assist FirstGroup and its subsidiaries to maxi- mize purchasing power, both companies said. Te partnership includes benefits for more than 70,000 school buses and transit buses. Mansfield Oil is a $5.2 billion company and one of
the largest fuel distributors in the nation. Te deal specifically allows FirstGroup and its
subsidiaries, such as First Student, to leverage buy- ing power, centralize fuel purchases and increase visibility, compliance and controls through fuel system reports. Te deal also allows FirstGroup to purchase Mansfield products like FastTanks and green alternatives like diesel exhaust fluid. Mansfield will service 225 of FirstGroup’s 574 sites. Te remain- ing 349 facilities are bid through the government RFP process/school systems.
Transfinder announced in January that in 2010 it
surpassed the mark of 200 clients for first the time in company history, 203 to be exact including the Win- nipeg (Manitoba) School Division, the first in Canada. Te company said its routing software is now used in 1,400 school districts nationwide. Transfinder also closed the year with $5.8 million in revenues, an 8-percent increase over 2009 despite the economy. In addition to the company’s deal with Winnipeg
School Division that was awarded through a com- petitive bid process, Transfinder unveiled its first browser-based fleet management solution, called Servicefinder, using Microsoft’s Cloud Computing platform. Te company also released version 9.0 of the company’s flagship routing solution, Route- finder Pro, which offers new features to help districts become more efficient and achieve significant cost savings. Transfinder also held its first National Client Conference in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., in July, attract- ing more than 130 attendees from 25 states. “2010 has been an impressive year for the company with several significant achievements,” said President
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