WARWICK, N.Y. — Trans Tech Bus announced on Monday that John Phraner will replace Dan Daniels as president of the company.

Phraner will join Trans Tech from North East Fabricators. Officials said Daniels will help him transition into the role; Daniels plans to leave the company sometime before the end of the year.

“I’ve known and worked with Trans Tech for a long time,” Phraner said. “I’m looking forward to working with Dan Daniels during the transition as we keep the company moving forward on the road to becoming the premier manufacturer of cutaway Type A school and small commercial buses.”  

Daniels said that he decided to leave his position at Trans Tech so that he can be closer to his family in the Midwest.   

“It was a difficult decision to leave Trans Tech,” Daniels said. “There are so many great and dedicated people here. I am very grateful for the opportunity that I was given. It was exciting to be part of a team that helped make Trans Tech a leader in the production of innovative conventional and all-electric Type A school buses. I am confident the company will be in great hands with John Phraner at the helm.”

Officials said Daniels is responsible for bringing a number of product design innovations that helped increase the efficiency and popularity of Trans Tech’s school and commercial buses. He also instituted a number of quality control changes and improved the efficiency of the company’s manufacturing process over the years, helping to increase production capacity.  

Daniels, along with company co-founders Bart Marksohn and John Corr, also helped to spearhead the launch of Trans Tech’s eTrans all-electric school bus last fall.  

“The integrity that is inherent in Dan is a value hard to find these days,” said Marksohn, who is also a board member for the company. “I value our continuing relationship and wish Dan the best as he joins his family in Indiana. As Trans Tech begins this new chapter, we are looking forward to working with John Phraner. I first met John about five years ago when he was a supplier to Trans Tech. I was always impressed by his commitment to his employees.”

Phraner spent the last 22 years at North East Fabricators in Walton, N.Y., as the general manager. The company does custom metal fabrication and is a supplier of structural steel weldments.  

North East Fabricators currently employs around 60 people and has been a supplier to Trans Tech over the years, providing metal fabrication services and products for its line of conventional Type A school buses.  

Phraner’s career also includes time spent as president of South East Fabricators, where he oversaw the production of over 5,000 fabricated units that were supplied to Oshkosh for its MTVR military vehicle platform, and American Truck Corp., where the company manufactured hundreds of truck bodies.  

“We certainly have mixed emotions regarding the change,” Corr said. “On one hand, we are very happy to have such an accomplished individual like John Phraner as our new company president, and on the other hand, it’s hard to lose someone as capable as Dan Daniels — he will truly be missed.”

Officials said Daniels will be taking a new position within the industry sometime before the end of the year.

Other news on Trans Tech Bus:

• Trans Tech eTrans goes on N.Y. tour

• Trans Tech promotes employees