CINCINNATI — School bus contractor Petermann Ltd. has tapped a former Laidlaw Education Services executive to lead its acquisition efforts.

Paul Fichner held a similar role at Laidlaw (now part of First Student), having been directly involved in numerous acquisitions in the eastern U.S. He also oversaw multi-state operating regions that included Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan, with responsibility for over 75 operating locations and annual revenues of over $165 million.

“My operational background was an invaluable asset to me when evaluating potential acquisition targets; I could certainly appreciate their challenges, and used that experience to tailor agreements that satisfied the needs of all parties,” said Fichner, who has been in the school bus industry for over 15 years.

At Cincinnati-based Petermann, Fichner will serve as vice president of mergers and acquisitions.

“Being able to attract a high-caliber person like Paul, with a wealth of school bus industry experience in both business development and operations, will allow me to continue my focus on guiding our strategic growth initiatives as well as on delivering quality service to our current customers,” said Peter Settle, president of Petermann.

With a fleet of nearly 2,500 buses, Petermann is the fifth-largest school bus contractor in the nation.