BLACKSBURG, Va. — Thomas Built Buses celebrated a milestone last week with the delivery of its 100,000th Saf-T-Liner C2 school bus.

Caley Edgerly, president and CEO of Thomas Built Buses, presented the keys to the landmark C2 to Mark Miear, superintendent of Montgomery County (Va.) Public Schools. The presentation took place outside Lane Stadium on the campus of Virginia Tech on June 5.

Attending the event were Montgomery County Public Schools administrators, school bus drivers, technicians, and school board members, along with representatives from Thomas Built Buses, local dealer Sonny Merryman, and Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp.

“This is a historic day for Thomas Built Buses,” Edgerly said. “Montgomery County Public Schools is a valued Thomas Built customer. I am absolutely thrilled to be able to celebrate this milestone with them today.”

Thomas Built launched the Saf-T-Liner C2 school bus in 2004. The OEM also created a new manufacturing facility specifically to produce the new Type C bus.

Since the C2’s debut 14 years ago, Thomas Built has introduced new features for the bus, including the BusWise suite of technologies and telematics systems.

“These new smart buses can communicate directly with our technicians and staff,” said Eddie Walters, director of transportation for Montgomery County Public Schools. “If the bus is out on a route and a check engine light or other service issue arises, we are notified in real time so we’re prepared to address the concern immediately when the bus returns back to the shop. It really increases our efficiency and reduces the time buses are down for repair.”

Also, the Saf-T-Liner C2 is now available in diesel, propane, and compressed natural gas options, and it will be available in all-electric in 2019.

Montgomery County Public Schools transports 9,700 students daily. The district’s fleet is composed of about 130 school buses, including 15 new Thomas Built Saf-T-Liner C2 units.

Montgomery County Public Schools purchased the milestone C2 through the Sonny Merryman dealership.

“The production of Thomas Built’s 100,000th C2 speaks to the quality, durability, and popularity of Thomas Built’s products,” said Floyd Merryman, president and CEO of Sonny Merryman. “We are proud to be a Thomas Built dealer and to be a part of this momentous day with our friends at Montgomery Public Schools.”