The Mid-South Bus Center started in 1972 as Blue Bird of Tennessee in the town of Murfreesboro, founded by George Law.

Since then, the company became a Thomas Built Buses dealer and changed its name. George Law and his partner, Ray Earnest, sold the Tennessee business to Bucky Law, Steve Benefield, Chuck Lalance, and Drake Earnest. They became the Bus Center Family of Companies, which including Transportation South in Birmingham, Ala. In 2015, The Bus Center in Atlanta, Ga., opened for business as part of the alliance.

"This new location not only broadened their sales market, but helped them effectively service customers' vehicles throughout the Southeast," according to a company news release. "Today, the Bus Center Family of Companies is recognized as one of the largest bus sales organizations in the United States, delivering approximately 2,000 buses per year."

Said President Bucky Law: "Our successes are based on our mission statement, which is to provide quality equipment at an exceptional price and to support our customers better than anyone else in our industry. To all of our current customers, thank you again for supporting our companies for the last 50 years, and to our future customers, thank you in advance for what will be a lifelong relationship."

Company highlights, according to the news release:

• Together, these three locations have sold and delivered more than 50,000 buses through the years.

• The Bus Center Family of Companies employs more than 100 people.

• The Bus Centers represent the world’s best manufacturers, including Thomas Built Buses, a Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) Company; StarCraft, Startrans, and Champion – all Forest River companies (America's largest bus builder and a division of Berkshire Hathaway); and Collins. Van lines include L.A. West Designs for custom-built Mercedes Sprinters and Ford Transits, Braun Mobility and Driverge Vehicle Innovations.

• The facilities at all three Bus Center locations are equipped to handle everything from minor repairs to major body jobs. The parts departments located at each of the three locations stock more than $2 million in inventory.

The companies have been recognized by manufacturing partners as Southeast Dealers of the Year and have achieved President's Club status every year since representing Thomas Built Buses.