FORT VALLEY, Ga. — Blue Bird Corp. has made two senior leadership changes in its Parts & Service group, the school bus OEM announced on Thursday.

Jeff Merten has been appointed vice president of Parts & Service, and Bill Landreth is stepping into a new role as executive director of parts sales.

“The Parts & Service business presents a significant growth opportunity for Blue Bird, and one that we are committing to pursue aggressively with our dealer partners,” said Mark Terry, Blue Bird's chief commercial officer. “Both Jeff and Bill bring a wealth of experience to their new roles that will help take Parts & Service to the next level.”

Merten most recently led investor relations as Blue Bird became a public company. Prior to that, he led the OEM’s marketing and product planning.

Before joining Blue Bird in 2012, Merten spent 16 years at Harley-Davidson in roles that included several senior-level positions with general management responsibility for parts, accessories, and service operations. He also worked for Ford Motor Co. for eight years.

In Landreth’s new role as executive director of parts sales, he will report to Merten. Landreth will have responsibility for dealer-facing activities, including growing parts sales, expanding service points and capacity, implementing dealer standards, and building dealer capabilities through the sharing of best practices. Blue Bird’s regional parts managers and customer service representatives will report to Landreth.

Before moving into this new position, Landreth oversaw the Blue Bird Parts & Service group. He has more than 30 years’ experience in parts and service operations, formerly running the aftermarket business for American LaFrance as well as taking on senior-level assignments with Freightliner.

“I can’t overemphasize how important we view the Parts & Service business, and that is what drove us to deepen the leadership team,” Terry added. “Our objective is to be the number one source for all of our customers’ parts needs and to work with our dealers to deliver the best service experience in the industry. We are excited about the future.”