Empty schools, busy buses: How Apple Bus Company is serving students stuck at home
We love hearing how companies are adapting their services to meet the needs of their communities in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Sometimes, these stories come from across town, see Great Range Capitals offsite meeting at J. Riegier & Co. Other times, they’re found in our own portfolio.
Cleveland, Missouri-based Apple Bus Company is a leading provider of student transportation services with operations in eight states. And while the schools the company serves are now sitting idle, many of its buses are not. Here are some of the ways Apple Bus Company has kept its vehicles running:
Meal delivery. Concerned that many children would be cut off from a vital source of nutrition, Apple Bus Company reached out to its district partners to see how it could help get food to the students. Its drivers now deliver meals to thousands of students every week.
Schoolwork transport. Food isn’t the only thing students need to continue their education from home, which is why Apple Bus Company has also been delivering books, musical instruments, computers, packets and other necessary learning materials. In just one week drivers in Amarillo, Texas, transported 55,000 school packets.
Wi-Fi access. Online learning can only occur if students have access to the internet, so Apple Bus Company has been deploying buses equipped with wi-fi hot spots to areas of greatest need.
Students aren’t the only ones being served by Apple Bus Company during this crisis. Over the last few weeks, it has expanded its paratransit services in Kalamazoo, Michigan, to offer county residents free shuttle transportation to work, grocery stores and medical appointments.
While few things feel certain right now, we remain convinced that seeking new ways to serve communities in which we operate will always be the best way to do business.
About Great Range Capital
Great Range Capital is a private equity firm based in greater Kansas City. It primarily targets controlling equity investments in companies with revenues ranging from $10 to $150 million that are based in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.
About Apple Bus Company
Apple Bus is a Kansas City area-based transportation company with operations in eight states. Apple Bus is large enough to provide the highest level of service and at the same time small enough to be aware of and responsive to school’s needs. It is the mission of Apple Bus Company to set the standard for safety, quality of service and quality of product by which all other transportation providers are judged.