HIGH POINT, N.C. – Apr. 6, 2023 – Thomas Built Buses (TBB), a leading manufacturer of school buses in North America, recognized the company’s Dealer of the Year at its annual President’s Club awards program last week. The 2022 Dealer of the Year award was presented to Sonny Merryman, Inc., Virginia’s exclusive Thomas Built Buses dealer. This represents the seventh win for their team since the inception of the awards in 1986.

We would also like to recognize all our President’s Club, President’s Club Platinum and Honors Class dealers who have made significant contributions to the success of Thomas Built Buses. We are proud to work alongside each of you as we continue to provide safe and reliable transportation solutions for students and communities across North America.

“The Dealer of the Year award continues to celebrate the commitment and discipline of the hardworking Thomas Built dealer network across the United States and Canada,” said Daoud Chaaya, VP of sales, aftermarket and marketing, at Thomas Built Buses. “We congratulate all our dealers for their continued dedication to operational excellence, unwavering commitment to deliver an exceptional customer experience and catering to the overall value proposition, including Sonny Merryman for their seventh win.

“We would also like to recognize all our President’s Club, President’s Club Platinum and Honors Class dealers who have made significant contributions to the success of Thomas Built Buses. We are proud to work alongside each of you as we continue to provide safe and reliable transportation solutions for students and communities across North America.

“With more than 1,000 technicians trained in 2022, Sonny Merryman’s dedication to training also sets them apart,” continued Chaaya. “The company’s 100% NPS score was exceptional, and they were close to 140% on their parts objective. They have also shown a commitment to going above and beyond, with active involvement in the Excelerator program and the development of a special recognition program for school bus drivers.”

In addition to Sonny Merryman, Inc. winning Dealer of the Year, Thomas Built also recognized President’s Club and President’s Club Platinum award winners for their achievement of key performance indicators for the year, including brand effectiveness, parts and service effectiveness, customer experience and financial performance. In order to qualify for the Dealer of the Year award, a dealer must reach the President’s Club Platinum level. The 2022 winners included:

President’s Club:

·       Autobus Thomas, Inc., Drummondville, Quebec

·       BusWest, Inc., Carson, Calif.

·       Empire Truck Sales, Jackson, Miss.

·       Midwest Bus Sales – AR, Van Buren, Ark.

·       Midwest Bus Sales – KS/MO, Shawnee, Kan.

·       Rohrer Enterprises, Duncannon, Pa.

·       Schetky Northwest Sales, Inc., Portland, Ore.

·       The Bus Centre, Acheson, Alberta

President’s Club Platinum:

·       American Bus Sales & Service, Inc., Annapolis, Md.

·       Boyd Company, Louisville, Ky.

·       Carolina Thomas, LLC, Greensboro, N.C.

·       HA DeHart & Son, Thorofare, N.J.

·       Hoekstra Transportation, In., Grand Rapids, Mich.

·       Interstate Transportation Equipment, Inc., Hopkins, S.C.

·       Kerlin Bus Sales & Leasing, Inc., Silver Lake, Ind.

·       Matheny Motor Truck Company, Mineral Wells, W.Va.

·       Mathews Buses, Inc, Ballston Spa, N.Y.

·       Matthews Bus Alliance, Orlando, Fla.

·       Mid-South Bus Center, Inc., Murfreesboro, Tenn.

·       Nesco Bus & Truck Sales, Inc., Bay Shore, N.Y.

·       New England Transit Sales, Inc., Tyngsboro, Mass.

·       Sonny Merryman, Inc, Evington, Va.

·       Transportation South, Pellham, Ala.

·       W.C. Cressey & Son, Inc., Kennebunk, Maine

This year, Thomas Built did away with regional winners and instead nominated five high-performing dealers to the top honor of 2022 Dealer of the Year. These nominees become the Honors Class.

Honors Class:

·       Carolina Thomas, LLC, Greensboro, N.C.

·       Kerlin Bus Sales & Leasing, Inc., Silver Lake, Ind.

·       New England Transit Sales, Inc., Tyngsborough, Mass.

·       Sonny Merryman, Inc., Evington, Va.

·       Transportation South, Pellham, Ala.

About Thomas Built Buses:

Founded in 1916, Thomas Built Buses is a leading manufacturer of school buses in North America. Since the first Thomas Built bus rolled off the assembly line, the company has been committed to delivering the smartest and most innovative buses in North America. Learn more at https://thomasbuiltbuses.com or at https://www.facebook.com/thomasbuiltbuses.

Thomas Built Buses, Inc., headquartered in High Point, N.C., is a subsidiary of Daimler Truck North America LLC, a leading provider of comprehensive products and technologies for the commercial transportation industry. The company designs, engineers, manufactures and markets medium- and heavy-duty trucks, school buses, vehicle chassis and their associated technologies and components under the Freightliner, Western Star, Thomas Built Buses, Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp and Detroit brands. Daimler Truck North America is a subsidiary of Daimler Truck, one of the world’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturers.

Media Contact

Anja Weinert, anja.weinert@daimlertruck.com