High Point, N.C. – First Class Coach and Equipment Inc. of Florida has a new name and new owners. After nearly 25 years in business, the school and commercial transportation solution provider has been converted to an employee-owned company and will be known as Florida Bus Unlimited. Florida Bus has sales parts and service teams dedicated to the Florida School Bus industry and serves central and northern Florida.

“Our employees have built this company over the last quarter century. It’s their commitment to the customer and long time sense of personal responsibility, that have made us a success,” said Jim Bay, president of Florida Bus Unlimited. “With a silver anniversary approaching and the new direction of the company, we felt new owners and a new name was the best way to honor our history and our future.”

“The knowledgeable and dedicated team at Florida Bus reflects positively on the Thomas name and we’re proud to be associated with the company,” said Ken Hedgecock, vice president of sales, marketing and service for Thomas Built Buses.

Celebrating its 90th anniversary this year, Thomas Built Buses (www.thomasbus.com) is the leading manufacturer of school buses in North America, with more than one-third of the market. Since the first Thomas Built bus rolled off the assembly line in 1936, the company has focused entirely on delivering the smartest, safest and most innovative buses in North America. Thomas Built Buses is a member of the Freightliner Group, the largest heavy-duty truck manufacturer in North America and a leading manufacturer of class 3-8 vehicles. The Freightliner Group produces and markets commercial vehicles under the Freightliner, Sterling, Western Star and Thomas Built Buses nameplates. Freightliner is a company of DaimlerChrysler, the world’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturer. Media contact for Freightliner LLC: Amy Sills, 503-745-8535, amysills@freightliner.com.