Thomas Built Buses named Sonny Merryman Inc. its Dealer of the Year during an annual meeting earlier this month in Nashville, Tenn., the fifth time the school bus OEM has honored the Virginia bus company.
The award was presented April 14 at the annual Thomas Dealer Meeting on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry. Merryman, one of 50 Thomas dealers in the U.S. and Canada, previously won the award in 1989, 1998, 2001 and 2003. No other Thomas dealer has received the award as many times.
Company founder Floyd Withers “Sonny” Merryman, Jr. passed away in December at the age of 89.
Sonny Merryman Inc. has served as Thomas’ exclusive Virginia dealer since 1967. The employee-owned company is headquartered in Central Virginia near Lynchburg and operates service centers in Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia. In all, it employs 125 full-time associates statewide. The company said it annually delivers hundreds of vehicles to school districts, public transit properties, health care providers, senior living communities, colleges, universities and numerous other bus operators across the Commonwealth.
The Dealer of the Year award, which is presented to Thomas’ highest performing dealer each year, recognizes outstanding sales achievements, superior product support and exceptional customer service. Thomas Built Buses is a wholly owned subsidiary of Daimler Trucks North America.
