If the length of a contract is any indication of a school bus company's quality of service to a school district, Kobussen Buses Ltd. has some strong evidence: The contractor has been transporting students for the Kaukauna (Wis.) Area School District for nearly 75 years.

And then there's the contract with the nearby Neenah Joint School District, which began in 1967 and continues to this day.

Kobussen Buses' dedication extends beyond its school district customers. Over the years, members of the Kobussen family have served as key contributors to school transportation associations, and they are known for lending a hand to colleagues.

"I've been in the business 40-plus years now, and I've known that if you ever had a question, you could pick up the phone and they'd take the time to talk to you and help out," Magda Dimmendaal told SBF in an interview. Dimmendaal is president of the National School Transportation Association (NSTA) and CEO of another Wisconsin bus company, Dousman Transport Inc.

"Whether you were in the area and had a bus breakdown or whatever, they'd be right there to help you out. They're very good neighbors."

For their commendable efforts in their local communities and in the broader pupil transportation community, SBF named the Kobussens its 2012 Contractor of the Year.

SBF Publisher Frank Di Giacomo presented the award to the Kobussens during NSTA's annual ceremony on Tuesday. (For the full list of award winners, go here.)

An in-depth profile of Kobussen Buses will appear in the September issue of SBF.