es save parents money and make sense environmentally. One bus takes 36 vehi- cles off the road, carries an average of 71 passengers versus one or two in a car, and reduces congestion.
STN: Given industry requirements re- garding meeting new emissions standards
and the trend toward alternative fuel technology, how is Tomas investing in rising to the challenge? KH: Tis is an area where Tomas Built
Buses excels. As you know, our whole line of buses are ready for 2010 EPA require- ments, and we’re producing (and selling) Saf-T-Liner C2e Hybrids. We’ve taken our
first big order of 2010 HDXs. In addition, we’ve put more than 1,000 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses on the road in the past 10 years, and we’re constantly working to improve our environmental footprint throughout our entire manufac- turing process.
STN: Commodity prices have been on
a yo-yo for the past year. What is Tomas doing in response to those costs from a manufacturing standpoint? Is there any- thing Tomas is doing to help alleviate some financial strain on customers? KH: We know many school districts are
cutting back and our customers are strug- gling. We work closely with our suppliers, and our purchasing group is very attentive to maintaining strong supplier relation- ships. It is important to control costs for our customers in difficult economic times while maintaining the quality that is expected.
STN: How do you see Tomas’
third-party suppliers being affected? In- dustry-wide? KH: As I’ve said previously, we greatly
value our long-term supplier relationships and their contributions to the quality and durability of our buses. Our Supplier Council serves as a consulting arm, work- ing with us to maintain these important partnerships.
STN: How many third-party suppliers
does Tomas currently have? Have there been any reductions due to the economy? KH: Supplier numbers vary throughout
the year. As you can surmise, the economy has impacted our supplier base.
STN: Anything you would like to add? KH: Because every mile matters is more
than just a tagline for us at Tomas Built Buses. It matters to Tomas that children in the U.S. and Canada can count on our buses for safe transportation. It matters to Tomas that we provide good jobs for our employees. It matters to Tomas that school districts can count on our buses to provide safe, reliable and durable trans- portation. It matters to Tomas that we offer the best value and ownership experi- ence possible. n
46 School Transportation News Magazine March 2010
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