School bus manufacturer Thomas Built Buses presented its Dealer of the Year award during the company’s annual President’s Club awards program in San Antonio.

Massachusetts-based New England Transit Sales, a comprehensive dealership serving the New England region, was bestowed the 2023 Dealer of the Year recognition. This marks their second win since the awards' inception in 1986, having previously earned the honor in 2017.

Thomas Built's Dealer of the Year award continues to honor the dedication and performance of its dealer network across the United States and Canada.

"Today, our dealers are more committed than ever to operational excellence and ensuring an exceptional customer experience, aligning with Thomas Built's mission to provide safe and reliable transportation solutions for students and communities throughout North America," stated Daoud Chaaya, vice president of sales, aftermarket, and marketing.

"We extend our appreciation to our Thomas Built dealers for their exceptional efforts in 2023, including members of the President's Club, President's Club Platinum, and Honors Class," Chaaya added. "As we push forward in reshaping the industry, our dealer network remains a crucial component of our success. Enhancing our customer service will pave the way for safe student transportation for generations to come."

Chaaya continued: "Congratulations to the New England Transit Sales team for earning Thomas Built's Dealer of the Year award. This achievement underscores their steadfast passion and dedication to safe student transportation, achieved through a meticulous focus on the entire value proposition. Here's to many more years of success and innovation."

Besides honoring New England Transit Sales with the Dealer of the Year award, Thomas Built recognized recipients of the President's Club and President's Club Platinum awards for their accomplishments in meeting key performance indicators for the year. These indicators include brand effectiveness, parts and service efficiency, customer experience, and financial performance. To be eligible for the Dealer of the Year award, a dealer must achieve President's Club Platinum status. The 2023 recipients include:

President's Club

• Autobus Thomas, Inc., Drummondville, Quebec.

• Boyd Truck Centers, Louisville, Ken.

• Empire Truck Sales, Richland, Miss.

• H.A. DeHart & Son, Thorofare, N.J.

• Matheny Motor Truck Company, Mineral Wells, W.V.

• Midwest Bus Sales, Inc., Shawnee, Kan.

• Nelson's Bus Service, Inc., Whitewater, Wisc.

• Thomas Bus Sales of New York, Bay Shore, N.Y.

• Thomas Bus Sales of Georgia, Forest Park, Ga.

• Warner Industries, East Regina, Saskatchewan.

• Midwest Bus Sales, Inc., Van Buren, Ark.

President's Club Platinum

• American Bus Sales & Services, Inc., Annapolis, Md.

• BusWest, Carson, Calif.

• Carolina Thomas, LLC, Greensboro, N.C.

• Hoekstra Transportation, Inc., Grand Rapids, Mich.

• Interstate Transportation Equipment, Inc., Hopkins, S.C.

• Kerlin Bus Sales & Leasing, Inc., Silver Lake, Ind.

• Matthews Buses Alliance, Inc., Orlando, Fla.

• Matthews Buses, Inc., Ballston Spa, N.Y.

• Mid-South Bus Center, Inc., Murfreesboro, Tenn.

• New England Transit Sales, Inc., Tyngsboro, Mass.

• Rohrer Bus, Duncannon, Penn.

• Schetky Bus and Van Sales, Inc., Portland, Ore.

• Sonny Merryman, Inc., Evington, Va.

• Thomas Bus Texas, Houston, Texas.

• Transportation South, Inc., Pelham, Ala.

• W.C. Cressey & Son, Inc., Kennebunk, Maine.

For the second consecutive year, Thomas Built nominated five exceptional dealers from the President's Club Platinum level for the esteemed 2023 Dealer of the Year award. These nominees constitute the 2023 Honors Class:

• Interstate Transportation Equipment, Inc., Hopkins, S.C.

• Matthews Buses Alliance, Inc., Orlando, Fla.

• New England Transit Sales, Inc., Tyngsboro, Mass.

• Rohrer Bus, Duncannon, Penn.

• Sonny Merryman, Inc., Evington, Va.