Here, we highlight the recipients of our Contractor of the Year award from the past 11 years. These individuals and their companies have made notable efforts in their local communities and in the broader pupil transportation community.
<i>SBF</i> Contractors of the Year
2012: Wisconsin school bus operator Kobussen Buses Ltd. was named SBF's 45th Contractor of the Year. Members of the Kobussen family are pictured with SBF Publisher Frank Di Giacomo (far left). The company has been transporting students for Kaukauna (Wis.) Area School District for nearly 75 years, and the family is known for lending a hand to colleagues. To read about Kobussen Buses, click here. To view more photos from the company's operation, go here.
Photo by Bob Kapsy
2011: Kevin Clifford received SBF's 44th Contractor of the Year award. Clifford is president of Huntington Coach Corp., based in Huntington Station, N.Y. He has converted several school districts to privatized transportation service — including the Manhasset School District in 2005. The company reports saving that district more than $1 million per year. To read more about Clifford's career, click here.
2010: Blake Krapf (center) was named SBF's 43rd Contractor of the Year. He is pictured with Donald Fowler, who was president of the National School Transportation Association (NSTA) (left), and SBF Publisher Frank Di Giacomo. Krapf is CEO of his family's business, Krapf Bus Companies. Blake Krapf has led the business through significant growth in recent years. In addition, he has served for several years on the NSTA board of directors as an at-large delegate. He has also chaired the association’s membership committee. To read more on Krapf's career, click here.
2009: Tim Flood, executive vice president of The Trans Group, based in Spring Valley, N.Y., was named SBF's 42nd Contractor of the Year. At The Trans Group, Flood oversees the management of all of the companies within The Trans Group. In all, they run more than 800 school buses, transporting about 35,000 children in many school districts throughout New York state. In NSTA, Flood served for several years as chair of the Association and Industry Development Committee, where he reported on and took an active role in several key subcommittees. For more details on Flood's career, go here.
2005: Michael Ely was named SBF's 38th Contractor of the Year. Ely is president of Scholastic Bus Co. in Hillsdale, N.J. Among his achievements is helping to get passed a bill that requires public entities to play by the same rules as private school bus companies when bidding on school transportation contracts. To read more about Ely's career, click here.
2014: Denis Gallagher, chairman and CEO of Student Transportation Inc., was named SBF's 47th Contractor of the Year. Read more about Gallagher here.
2013: David Duke received SBF's 46th Contractor of the Year award. Duke is CEO of National Express Corp. To read more about him and his career, go here.
2008: Larry Pierce (left) received SBF's 41st Contractor of the Year award. Pierce, who passed away in October 2012, is pictured with his son, Troy. Pierce served as president of Pierce Coach Line in Roslyn, N.Y. One aspect of his company that Pierce was particularly proud of was that it has been a stepping stone for people who have achieved considerable success in their careers. For more information on Larry Pierce's career, click here.
2007: John Elliott (right) was named SBF's 40th Contractor of the Year. Elliott's career in the industry has spanned more than three decades, and he has been an active member of the NSTA board for more than 20 years. Last year, he was appointed to a role at National Express Corp. focusing on customer and employee relations. For more details on Elliott's career, click here.
2006: Donald Fowler (second from left) received SBF's 39th Contractor of the Year award. He is president of Fowler Bus Lines Inc. in Richmond, Mo., and has served as president of NSTA. He has also been involved with the Missouri School Bus Contractors Association, the National Association for Pupil Transportation and the Missouri Association for Pupil Transportation. For more on Fowler's career, click here.
2004: Magda Dimmendaal received SBF's 37th Contractor of the Year award. Dimmendaal, who became the first female president of NSTA in 2011, is CEO of Dousman Transport Co. Inc. in Wisconsin. She has more than doubled the size of her company since she bought it in 1988. For more details on Dimmendaal's career, click here.