Sonny Merryman Opens $6M School Bus Service Center
The Virginia-based dealer marks its 50th anniversary with a new service center that features bus maintenance facilities with 12 full-size service bays, parts warehousing, and a body repair shop.
CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Virginia-based bus dealer Sonny Merryman Inc. will celebrate the grand opening of its new Hampton Roads bus service center in western Chesapeake on Wednesday.
The new $6 million venture on five acres features 37,000 square feet of office space, bus maintenance facilities with 12 full-size service bays, parts warehousing, and a body repair shop. Compo Construction Company of Norfolk was the project’s general contractor.
Floyd Merryman, CEO and president of Sonny Merryman Inc., cites business growth and a strong desire to provide exceptional customer service in the Hampton Roads market as the catalyst for the new project.
“2016 marks the 50th anniversary of our company,” Merryman said. “This new facility is a testament to our commitment to continue providing quality transportation equipment and premier customer support across the commonwealth for at least another 50 years.”
Grand opening celebration festivities include a ribbon cutting ceremony, facility tours, vehicle displays, live music, and refreshments.
The new Hampton Roads facility replaces the company’s former service center in the Greenbrier Industrial Park, which is also located in Chesapeake.
Sonny Merryman Inc. is Virginia’s exclusive dealer for school bus manufacturer Thomas Built Buses.
Headquartered near Lynchburg in central Virginia, the dealer also operates a bus service center near Manassas in northern Virginia.
More Management
5 Questions: How CharterUP Brought a Marketplace to Student Transportation
What does it take to bring a transportation marketplace into K-12? Hear firsthand what CharterUP has learned about the unique needs of schools and bus operators.
Read More →
EverDriven Expands TripCentral Transportation Management Platform to All Partner Districts
The platform provides school districts with real-time trip tracking, student transportation scheduling tools, and pickup and drop-off management capabilities.
Read More →
6 School Transportation Trends to Watch: 2026 District Survey Results
School bus buying is up, fuel choices are shifting, and driver shortages persist. This and more in the latest K-12 public school survey, plus the largest fleets in the U.S.
Read More →
The 100 Largest School Bus Fleets in America: 2026 Rankings
Which public K-12 school districts are the largest in the nation in terms of bus fleet size? Here are the new standings of the top 100 district fleets.
Read More →
EverDriven Launches Route Consolidation Calculator to Estimate Diesel Savings
As diesel prices hit record highs, the largest alternative transportation provider says a 10% route consolidation could save a 120-route district more than $78,000 a year in fuel alone.
Read More →
Zum Secures Continued Financing Support for School Bus Expansion
Generate Private Credit has financed approximately $75 million in school bus deployments across three states, supporting more than 500 buses as Zum expands across the county.
Read More →
Beyond Discipline: A Different Approach to Student Behavior on the Bus
After implementing a dean of students program in Oregon, North Clackamas is seeing positive improvements. Here’s how it worked. The Route is brought to you by IC Bus.
Read More →
A Dean of Transportation's Different Approach to Student Behavior on the School Bus
After implementing a dean of students program in Oregon, North Clackamas is seeing positive improvements on the bus. Here’s how it worked.
Read More →
Inside NAPT ACTS 2026: Highlights from Louisville
From federal updates and student behavior strategies to new school bus technology and industry awards, see highlights from NAPT ACTS 2026 in Louisville.
Read More →
Meet the 2026 School Bus Driver Hero Winner: Annette Brown
We caught up with Wa-Nee Community Schools' Annette Brown on site at SBFX, where she was named the 2026 School Bus Driver Hero Award winner. Hear about her reaction, what she loves most about being a school bus driver, and more!
Read More →