Prior to the award announcements, IC Bus took a moment to recognize one of their own. In recognition of over 14 years of leadership to the bus business, IC Bus saluted Tom Cellitti by renaming the dealer of the year award the Tom Cellitti IC Bus Dealer of the Year Award.

The Tom Cellitti IC Bus 2007 North American Dealer of the Year Award was awarded to Leonard Bus Sales of Deposit, NY. Mike Leonard and the team from Leonard Bus Sales fully represent the ideals and values of what an IC Bus dealer stands for. In 2007, Leonard Bus Sales continued the facilitation of a statewide customer advisory panel to gather end- user feedback and maintain an open communication process with customers. They improved service through operation of 4 daily parts delivery trucks and 6 mobile maintenance vehicles to support customers across their territory and provided hands on service training to over 400 school and contractor technicians. A new sales manager was brought on and Leonard Bus Sales maintained their dominant presence at the New York State School Bus Show. These efforts allowed Mike and his team to maintain superior customer service and continue to expand their business in 2007.

Regional Dealer of the Year Awards were also distributed to top IC Bus dealers in geographic markets. Those recipients include:

West Region: Longhorn Bus Sales (Ed Kyrish, Dealer Principal)
· Maintained position as strongest bus dealer in Texas in 2007.
· Opened new facility in Lufkin, TX to support customers in Northeast Texas.
· Held ride-and-drive event for over 100 customers to promote hybrid technology and MaxxForce™ engines.

Midwest Region: Hoglund Bus and Truck (Wayne Hoglund, Dealer Principal)
· Added sales manager, outside parts salesperson, parts delivery person, and marketing intern.
· Offered technical help line to assist customers that need real-time assistance.
· Implemented customer satisfaction process including resolution plan development and weekly review with senior management.

Southeast Region: Truck Center (Chuck Imbler, Dealer Principal)
· Continued position as strongest bus dealer in Northern Mississippi in 2007.
· Resolute commitment to the relationship with their customers has allowed Truck Center to maintain dominant market share for the past 10 years.

“These four dealerships epitomize the ideals of our IC dealer network,” said John McKinney, Vice President and General Manager, IC Bus. “IC Bus has the best dealer network in the industry. They consistently provide exceptional value, service, and support that customers demand and deserve. We are proud to recognize these 4 dealers who have provided superior support and service to their customers throughout 2007.”

IC Bus selects the dealer of the year winners based on a number of performance criteria. These particular dealers excelled in all of the criteria required by IC Bus for consideration in the Dealer of the Year awards. The factors include a variety of dealer performance metrics including market share, customer satisfaction ratings, and year-over-year performance improvements.