MV Transportation (No. 10 on the be industrial/service 100 list with $430.5 million in sales) has snared a $133 million contract to operate 139 fixed-route buses in California’s San Gabriel and Pomona valleys. The contract with Foothill Transit will drive MV Transportation’s revenues past the $500 million mark, making the Fairfield, California-based transportation management firm one of the nation’s largest privately held municipal bus operators.
“We were selected for this contract even though we were not the lowest bidder,” says Jon Monson, MV’s chief executive officer. “We demonstrated our ability to provide high-quality service. “We’ve reduced turnover and added a lot more mechanics to Foothill’s Irwindale facility,” continues Monson. “By paying workers better, it allows us to improve service.”
MV employs more than 11,000 transit professionals and operates more than 7,000 vehicles in 27 states nationwide. At the Irwindale facility, the company manages almost 400 workers and operates 115 buses, most powered by compressed natural gas. CNG is the most widely used alternative fuel in transit bus fleets. Some exp Marcia A. Wade erts debate the cost efficiency of CNG when used for bus fleets but recognize that it benefits air quality. Natural gas vehicles are clean burning and produce significantly fewer harmful emissions than gasoline or diesel.
“MV has grown into a formidable leader in the transportation industry that takes care of its employees and is committed to the communities it serves,” says Julie Cunningham, CEO of the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials, which named the company Corporate Citizen of the Year at its annual conference last June.