WEST CHESTER, Pa. — Krapf Bus Companies Inc. has acquired Septran Inc., which provides school transportation for special-needs students in Illinois and Minnesota.
The company operates a fleet of 1,150 vehicles, which range from minivans to small buses. About 15 percent of Septran’s fleet is full-size school buses.
“This is an important step for us, and we weighed it very carefully,” said Blake Krapf, CEO of Krapf Bus Companies. “Septran is a premier company in special-needs school transportation in the Midwest, and we are very proud that they selected Krapf from among many others to take over their operations. We believe the Midwest offers a lot of opportunities for Septran, and now for us.”
Krapf added that Septran’s owner and founder is 83 and ready to retire, but he wanted to ensure that the company he built continues to be family-owned and employee-centered, as well as remain an important part of the communities that Septran has served. These are core values of the Krapf companies, according to Blake Krapf, and Septran’s owner found that compelling.
“We are very proud to have Septran as part of the Krapf bus family,” added Dale Krapf, chairman of Krapf’s board of directors. “They have a very strong management and employee team, a great customer base, a well-managed fleet and a fine reputation. We expect to not only add to their future, but also to learn from them to make all our operations even better.”
Krapf Bus Companies’ acquisition of Septran is the second the company has made recently. Hash Bus Co. LP also became part of the Krapf bus family, as SBF reported last month.
Krapf, established nearly 70 years ago, is the largest private school bus contractor in Pennsylvania and Delaware. It also operates charter buses, paratransit vehicles and public transit lines in its home county of West Chester.