School Bus Fleet, October 2017

BUS CULTURES COMBINED George Krapf Jr and Sons as the company was first known was founded in 1942 beginning with only two buses in operation Pictured here is George Krapf Jr around 1941 father Martin K Birnie Tim Birnie was really a one man show for a huge business says Dale Krapf chairman of the board for the Krapf Group and Blakes father But he didnt want to sell that business to someone who was just going to roll that over and sell it to the next big conglomerate that comes down the road two or three years from now He wanted to sell it to someone who had the same family spirit and family values that we had Those Krapf values according to Dale are commitment open communication respecting others and excellent service The values were first established by his parents after founding the company Krapfs familial values ring true with Vera Brooks a school bus driver examiner and instructor for Krapf School Bus Brooks who has worked for the company for 37 years started out as a driver Despite nearly 40 years of growth and expansion employees still see members of the Krapf family onsite I work in different locations and at any given time you can see one of the owners coming by and talking and saying hi Brooks says Theyll even talk to new hires too They might not know them by name but theyll say hi to them and talk to them just like a coworker For Blake seeking the right cultural fit for Krapf is also a way to prepare for the future Family owned companies with a tight knit culture are better suited to take on future changes in the industry Even with this acquisition were not a large corporation Were still a familyowned hands on management he says Certainly theres a lot of new technology Because Birnie Bus shares similar goals values and a dedication to providing safe high quality service it was an ideal acquisition for Krapf Shown here is Rafik Avdic who has been a school bus driver at Birnie Bus since 2002 in our industry and customers expectations have changed rapidly in accordance with technological developments so we have the ability to recognize that and adapt quickly Family owned companies such as these two are also able to make changes and adapt to fit the needs of their customers and their employees without as much concern for stockholders or quarterly stock reports Blake says Beginnings Beyond sharing similar values both companies have enjoyed a similar longevity with Birnie Bus starting 70 years ago in 1947 and Krapf celebrating its 75th anniversary this year George Krapf Jr and Sons was founded in 1942 beginning with only two buses in operation shuttling students to and from the Downingtown Pennsylvania school district Georges business was located in the heart of Chester County which was gradually transforming from what was once primarily rural farmland to a suburban area Over the next 50 years as the area developed and the school systems evolved to keep pace Krapf School Bus grew along with the area The company began its school bus services to accommodate the modernization of schools that occurred across the country as schools transitioned from being single classrooms that sometimes housed all 12 grades to the high schools middle schools and elementary schools that are present today according to Dale By 1950 the number of school buses that the company operated grew to about eight to 10 Georges business acumen his strong commitment to excellence and the addition of his two sons to the business afforded the company the ability to position itself to handle that steady growth according to Blake In 1996 the company began expanding beyond the local confines of its neighboring school districts winning bids that allowed its fleet to grow to 500 or 600 buses Dale says Now with the acquisition of Birnie Bus Krapf School Bus will operate a total of 2500 school buses in Pennsylvania New Jersey New York Delaware and Virginia Krapf School Bus will take over more than 70 contracts with school districts and preschools as well Next steps After the acquisition and anniversary celebration the main goal of Krapf School Bus is simply to keep ofering the same level of service for the next 75 years Whatever future opportunities lie in wait for Krapf the approach in acquiring Birnie Bus is the framework for the companys growth Blake says We dont have a goal as far as X number of buses or X number of locations or annual revenue In the business world people might say that thats crazy but thats not how we approach it he adds Can we continue to provide high quality and treat our employees the way we should and treat our customers the way we should If we can do all those things then we look at the financial conditions clayton wong@ bobit com 40 SCHOOL BUS FLEET OCTOBER 2017 WWW SCHOOLBUSFLEET COM