Thomas Built Buses Names New Sales, Marketing VP

HIGH POINT, N.C. — School bus manufacturer Thomas Built Buses has named Jed Routh as the vice president of sales, service, and marketing, replacing longtime Thomas Built veteran Ken Hedgecock.

In addition to overseeing all sales, service and marketing initiatives, Routh will manage the Thomas Built Buses dealer network along with training and education for dealers and customers, according to a news release from the manufacturer.

“Thomas Built Buses has flourished under Ken Hedgecock’s leadership and support over the past 44 years. While Ken will be greatly missed following his retirement later this year, we are fortunate to have Jed stepping into this role,” said Caley Edgerly, president and CEO of Thomas Built Buses. “Jed has been with Thomas Built Buses for 23 years and has been deeply involved in many areas of the business. He is a natural fit for this position, and the sales, marketing, and service teams of Thomas Built Buses will continue to thrive under his guidance.”

Routh grew up in Randolph County and began his career as a teacher for Randolph County Schools. He later joined Thomas Built Buses in 1996. During his tenure, he has served as regional sales manager, corporate sales training manager, direct sales account manager, Type D product manager, business excellence manager for Daimler Trucks North America (the parent company of Thomas Built Buses), product planning manager, and most recently as logistics manager for the manufacturer's operations team.

Routh has a Bachelor of Arts from Appalachian State University, an MBA from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, and will soon complete a Master of Science degree in engineering management from Arizona State University.

In other recent Thomas Built Buses news, the manufacturer launched its Electric Bus Authority program, which is designed to guide school districts through the necessary steps for integrating electric vehicles into their fleets, at the National Association for Pupil Transportation's annual conference and trade show in Columbus, Ohio. Thomas Built also expanded its dealerships in Iowa in October.