WARRENVILLE, Ill. – Barry Stock, the executive vice president of business development for National Express Corporation, will retire effective July 30 after nearly three decades in the school transportation industry.

“I would like to thank everyone at National Express Corporation,” said Stock in a statement on Monday. “I am grateful for the colleagues and customers that I have been privileged to work alongside. I know Durham School Services and Stock Transportation have a strong leadership team in place and that these companies are well-positioned for the future.

“It has been an exhilarating and rewarding career. I am comfortable that the time is right to retire.”

The Stock family has been a fixture in Canadian school busing since 1958, when Barry's father Jeff and uncle Jerry started Stock Brothers Bus Lines, which was later sold to Travelways. After graduating college, and unable to join the family business per an agreement entered by his father, uncle and a third partner when starting the new Stockway Transportation operation in 1979, Barry went to work for Cardinal Coach Lines. After that company was sold to First Student, Barry joined with brother Greg and cousin Brian to form Stock School Transport in 1988. The company became Stock Transportation in 1992 and then merged with National Express Corporation in 2002. The UK company now operates both Stock Transportation in Canada and Durham School Services in the United States.

“Barry has made tremendous contributions to the school bus industry,” said John A. Elliott, president and CEO of National Express Corporation. “He is a well-known and respected leader in the industry who has been instrumental in advancing our business to where it is today."

Barry Stock became president of the National School Transportation Association in July 2007 and held the office until last summer. He will officially step down at National Express after returning from this year's NSTA Annual Convention in St. Louis, which is held July 24-28.

“I also would like to personally acknowledge our industry partners in both the National School Transportation Association and the American School Bus Council,” Stock added. “I am proud to have been associated with such great talent within these industry organizations as we have collectively worked to positively position the school transportation industry.”