School bus company owner bounces back from fire

SPRINGFIELD, Minn. — The owner of a school transportation company here lost most of his operation in a fire last week, just four months after he had bought it, Mankato Free Press reports.

The fire destroyed the garage, 10 school buses and a couple of semi-truck tractors belonging to Joe Schieffert, the owner of Superior Transportation Services, according to the newspaper. He recently bought the business after having been co-owner of the Sleepy Eye school bus company along with his dad and uncle for a decade before branching out on his own this year.

About an hour after the fire, Schieffert made phone calls to bus dealers and got a response from North Central Bus Sales in St. Cloud, which provided six new buses on Sunday, according to Mankato Free Press. Those buses, along with four that weren't damaged in the fire, were enough to complete school routes on Monday. The fire marshal who inspected the scene told Schieffert the cause of the fire is most likely not arson, according to the newspaper.

Springfield Public Schools Superintendent Keith Kottke told Mankato Free Press Schieffert’s quick actions despite the loss are impressive. Schieffert told the newspaper he appreciated the firefighters, the bus drivers who offered to help him, and the school, and that he hopes to rebuild the company in the same location.

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