Q&A
from attendee feedback, and then we’ve refined it for 2013 as a 20th anniversary celebration. It was the cherry on top of this year’s expe- rience. So that is our secret, that it really isn’t us, it is the people that have made STN EXPO memorable for 20 years, and it is our industry that is going to keep STN EXPO brand strong for another 20 years. Bruce Smith: Obviously all of my
competitors read STN, and I am sure they would be very interested in the secret of Safety Vision’s success after 20 years of continuous growth and profitability. I can say this much — we keep
TWO BRANDS, 20 YEARS T
STN PUBLISHER, SAFETYVISION FOUNDER REFLECT ON WHAT’S DEFINED THEIR BRANDS OVER THE PAST TWO DECADES
urning 20 means a lot in the life of any organization, so when two members of the pupil transportation industry
reached this milestone together in 2013, we saw a chance to record lessons learned and shared history. School Transportation News talked with Tony Corpin, the magazine’s publisher, and Bruce Smith, founder and CEO of Safety Vision, LLC to reflect on the years past and share their visions for the future.
School Transportation News: When you reflect on the last 20 years, what are you most proud of? Tony Corpin: I think the STN
EXPO keeps surprising people, and that is one of the reasons they keep coming back every year. But the really special thing about the EXPO is the way it brings everyone in pupil transportation together. We have all made connections here that last a career or friendships and span a lifetime, and that gives this confer- ence a heart.
£ Bruce Smith, founder of school-bus surveillance provider Safety VIsion, says constant evolution is a key to long- term success.
Bruce Smith: Since the compa-
ny’s founding, I think our biggest source of pride has been our breadth of experience. We can put high-definition safety inside and outside a bus now, as Safety Vision has the technology. In 1993, the best safety option was a handheld camcorder bolted to the top of the bus. We have developed a knowl- edgeable and creative staff to be able to take on brand new projects and initiatives with enthusiasm, and produce results for our clients. We have also improved the way we do business over the years.
STN: What’s the secret to your ongoing success? Tony Corpin: We stay deeply engaged in the pupil transportation niche, and we continue listening to our attendees and the industry, and keeping a pulse of the obstacles facing them as well as their success- es. Our EXPO curriculum every year reflects this, just as our magazine and web articles do. The networking event we started in 2012 originated
50 School Transportation News September 2013
evolving, and we keep trying to pace ourselves with the pupil transportation industry. Our newest product, the Sentinel DVR Monitor, is an example of this philosophy. It is a standalone product that can take images, record events, save days worth of video data, and yet it is af- fordable for small to midsize fleets. That is type of strategy that we play, look at the landscape of our customers, and pinpoint solutions for customers and fleets that others might ignore. Yes, our approach to business has improved over the years. This includes the way we involve clients in our process, our hiring of qualified people, and how we invest our time and resources.
STN: Looking ahead to the next 20 years, what does the next phase of pupil transportation look like? Tony Corpin: I don’t have a
crystal ball, but our attendees this year were interested in learning how to improve school transportation and maximize the life of their fleet. What I particularly enjoy about looking back are the various trends discovered; the desire for efficiency and continuous improvement isn’t really new. Technology and chang- ing demographics just facilitate innovation. Bruce Smith: I think that ed-
ucators and our legislators are going to focus on student safety, and I think that you will see more emphasis on protecting the edu- cation environment even outside the classroom, from the student’s doorstep to the bus stop all the way to the school door. —
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76