Q&A
For the Long Haul
DAN KOBUSSEN TALKS ABOUT HOW KOBUSSEN BUSES HAS GROWN WHILE REMAINING DEDICATED TO QUALITY CUSTOMER SERVICE FOR ITS CUSTOMERS
WRITTEN BY SYLVIA ARROYO F
rom the Great Depression to the Great Re- cession, Wisconsin-based Kobussen Buses Ltd., has withstood societal changes as well as changes in student transportation.
From its humble beginnings in the late 1930s, when farmer Elwood Kobussen began the business with one bus, to today, the company has grown and seen school districts go through budget highs and lows, student population growth and redistricting, among other things. As one of the earliest bus con- tracting companies, it also has seen this private-sec- tor segment evolve within the school bus industry. Of course, Kobussen Buses also has evolved. One main change was in 1967, when the company changed its name from Kaukauna Bus Service. But two things remain the same: It continues to serve its very first school district customer, Kaukauna Area School District, and its second-longest customer, Neenah Joint School District. Elwood’s grandson Dan Kobussen now runs the
company and currently is a National School Trans- portation Association board member. He spoke with STN about how Kobussen Buses sets itself apart from the competition and what may lie ahead for all private contractors.
SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION NEWS: Can you talk about what it was like for schools and student transportation at the end of the Great Depression? Are there any similarities to today’s economy?
20 School Transportation News June 2013 DAN KOBUSSEN: I had to refer to my parents
Jim and Marion to answer this question. At the end of the Great Depression, school buses provided a solution to a need; for a way to get farmers’ children to school. Te children mostly attended primary schools near their farms at the time. Parents did not go into town every day; maybe once a week to church. Elwood, my grandfather, was a farmer and a trucker of cattle for other farmers, and he purchased a red, white and blue school bus as his first bus. He then purchased one bus at a time every year until World War II. During the war, no buses were being built, and after the war he obtained two buses. Te farmers were appreciative of any service that was provided. Today, after the Great Recession, school districts
have very tight budgets. Over the past 20 to 30 years, the population has changed. Tere are less and less farmers, however, there is urban sprawl and many people have moved to the country to get away from the city. Both parents work full-time in the city, and they expect their real-estate taxes to cover many services, including door-to-door bus service. Parents need and expect prompt, safe bus service.
STN: How has Kobussen been able to retain its
two flagship contracts? KOBUSSEN: By providing safe, dependable
service to the communities in which it serves. We have retained our service through learning the needs
DAN KOBUSSEN, OWNER KOBUSSEN BUSES LTD.
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