Petermann Wins Special Needs Award

School Bus Company Honored at Cincinnati Reds Game

CINCINNATI (Sept. 5, 2007) – As part of Disability Awareness Night at Great American Ballpark, Petermann Transportation won the EP Maxwell J. Schleifer Distinguished Service Award, recognizing Petermann's work, care, and advocacy on behalf of people with disabilities. The award was presented at home plate before the Cincinnati Reds/Florida Marlins baseball game by EP Global Communications, Inc., publisher of Exceptional Parent magazine. Peter Settle, President of Petermann and grandson of Petermann's founder, C. H. Petermann, received the award on Aug. 25.

Through its partnership with the Hamilton County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (MR/DD), Petermann safely and efficiently transports hundreds of children and adults on a daily basis to and from school and adult center work sites. The company not only provides this necessary service in Hamilton County but in various other communities throughout Ohio .

Petermann's “responsiveness to and flexibility with the always challenging transportation needs that grow out of changing and expanding services and numbers of individuals served is unmatched and shows tremendous commitment,” according to the nominating letter from the Hamilton County Board of MR/DD. The nomination also shared that in numerous customer satisfaction surveys over the many years of the company's association with the Board, scores for the company's promptness, reliability, flexibility, and responsiveness have been “off the charts”.

The nominating letter from the Board described the Petermann bus drivers as friendly and becoming “part of each individual's circle of trusted and treasured acquaintances.” Hundreds of children and adults with disabilities in Hamilton County would not be able to have the kind of full, active, safe, happy lives that they do without Petermann's support.

Petermann was founded in 1921 by Mr. Settle's grandfather, C. H. Petermann, who created the first school for special needs children in Ohio in 1921. Petermann is the largest provider of school and special needs transportation services in Ohio . The company won the Thomas H. Kidd Award of Excellence in 2003 recognizing Petermann for “excellence in the provision of support and services to individuals with developmental disabilities.” Petermann also won School Bus Fleet's National Contractor of the Year Award in 2002.

Disability Awareness Night (DAN) is a national program intended to increase awareness and support for the 54.6 million Americans classified as having some form of intellectual or physical disability. The program encompasses both Major League and Minor League baseball.