Long-time school bus dealership Leonard Bus Sales is expanding on the East Coast by adding jobs to its New York operation and launching a new sister company based in Florida.
“We are proud to be growing in New York and expanding into Florida at the same time,” said Mike Leonard, president of Leonard Bus Sales, which sells IC Bus and Trans Tech Bus school buses, and LBS South, the new Florida-based company launched in the summer. It recently acquired the statewide distribution rights for IC Bus school and commercial buses.
“Our ability to do so is a reflection of our solid reputation as a top distributor of school and commercial buses, delivering high-quality buses and unmatched customer support,” he added.
Though Leonard will be president of both companies, LBS South and its 19 employees will operate as a separate company. Leonard said the new company will continue to provide the family’s trademark commitment to customer service and support of the Florida school and commercial bus markets. Leonard Bus Sales, headquartered in Deposit, N.Y., is a third-generation, family-owned business that has been around for nearly 50 years.
The bus dealership’s growth in New York in recent years has defied the odds of the economic downturn. It opened new facilities in Saratoga Springs, Rome, and Bergen, and expanded its headquarters. Each of the facilities employs between 15 and 30 full-time and part-time employees.
The recent expansion in New York includes the addition of Greg Race, a former Oneida City Schools district assistant superintendent for finance, who Leonard says possesses in-depth knowledge of school financing to assist schools with fleet management needs. Joe Wolfe also joins the company as the product sales manager for Trans Tech’s entire line of Type A school buses. Wolfe has more than 25 years of experience in the bus business, with a specialty in Type-A school buses.
Since its launch, LBS South added two new members who have decades of experience in the bus industry: Dick Epp as sales manager and Tami Proctor as a sales team member. Company officials said more jobs additions are expected in the coming months.
