For being a vocal leader in the school bus industry and for setting the standard on how a community-based school bus company should be managed, Kevin Endres has been named SBF’s Contractor of the Year for 1998.

Endres “dipped his feet” into the school bus industry in 1969, when he drove a school van for a private school in New Rochelle, N.Y., where he attended Iona College. He soon got his “big bus” license, and began driving for Wykagyl Bus Service in New Rochelle. Eventually, he completed graduate studies at the University of Vermont and secured a teaching position in Milton, Vt. All the while, Endres continued to drive school buses.

With help from his wife Joan, Endres established Mountain Transit in 1980. “I started the company with one bus I bought — like a car, 10 percent down, so much a month — and one I leased and one I borrowed,” said Endres.

Mountain Transit now operates 115 school buses, motorcoaches and shuttle buses. The company is under contract to 19 school districts and organizations, and belongs to nine professional and safety associations. Still, all of its contracts are serviced within a 35-mile radius of its Milton base.

The company’s goals have been clear since the first day: to operate clean, well-maintained vehicles driven by highly trained professionals.

“I always tried to treat my drivers with respect. They’re the backbone of the success of my company. They are out there representing you,” said Endres.

For Endres, running a bus company means much more than transporting children to and from school. Mountain Transit routinely donates busing services to senior citizen groups, the Special Olympics, a weeklong camp for children with cancer, Project Graduation and Kids and Kops programs.

Milton Police Chief Bob Stafford says that without the free transportation provided by Endres, many community programs would not be possible. “He is really interested in the educational process, the learning experience for these kids,” says Stafford. “But he also sees the benefit of the partnering between police and students. So it’s fantastic.”

Adds Stafford, “Kevin leads by example, and I think that’s why he is as successful as he is.”

Endres’ contributions to the school bus industry go even further than running a model agency. In 1985, Endres began testifying to House and Senate committees on various bus-related issues. In 1990, he proposed a bill to simplify and standardize registration procedures for school buses and saw this bill into law.

With several other school bus professionals, Endres began the Vermont School Transportation Association (VSTA) in 1992, and is the first and current president. VSTA currently represents nearly half of the buses in Vermont, and maintains a strong affiliation with the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles. Earlier this year, VSTA sponsored “Bus Driver Appreciation Day,” an event attended by more than 300 bus drivers and their spouses.