T. Ralph Young, owner of Asheville, N.C.-based Young Transportation, has been down a long road in the motorcoach business, a journey his father began in the 1930s.

T. Ralph Young Sr. owned a trucking business on the outskirts of Asheville, N.C. His employees wanted to go to the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair, so he installed seats, put a canvas over a truck and off they went.

“They rode on [wooden] board seats for six-hundred-and-something miles,” Young says.

The trip went so well, the employees requested a bus to take them to and from work and shopping, and in 1937, Young Sr. began running one. He obtained authority from the state of North Carolina in 1939 to operate a schedule run, farebox business running from Asheville to three rural communities.

Business bustled throughout the war years. However, after World War II ended, cars became more popular and business declined, so Young Sr. sold two of the three line operations and concentrated on his trucking company and buses, as well as a service station and grocery store he owned.

Meanwhile, Young grew up in the business. His dad had him sweeping out buses and trucks from age nine.

During the business slump of the post-war years, Young Sr. developed heart problems and decided to close the operation in 1960. Young sold one of the operation’s three buses in Kentucky. After he returned from delivering it, he learned his father had a heart attack and passed away.

Young bought the buses from his mother for a fair market price and asked her to finance them.

He initially struggled with the operation. “I thought, ‘What am I doing? I’m not making any money. I could go out and get a job.’ But I never pursued it,” Young says. “Not knowing what to do, I just kept on playing with it and bought a bus to replace the one that sold. It all developed from there.”

He started charter service in 1961, and as the business grew, he cut schedule run service. In 1975, Young incorporated and changed the business name from Asheville-Elk Mountain Bus Line to T.R.Y. Inc., doing business as Young Transportation.

Today, Young Transportation is comprised of three thriving segments: group tours, charters and destination management.

Turnaround
Young ended up growing the business considerably over the years after purchasing 40 new buses in 1982 to provide shuttle and charter services to the Knoxville, Tenn. World’s Fair, a move that paid off significantly in name recognition for the company.

“It gave us so much credibility and free advertising.” Young says. “TV stations would send a crew here in a helicopter to interview us. It was really a turnaround for the business. We were getting calls from people we had never quoted before.”

In 1982, to expand and improve business, Young acquired Accents on Asheville, a destination management company that provides customized tours in North Carolina. [PAGEBREAK]

Industry contributions
Young, who has served as a United Motorcoach Association (UMA) board member for 10 years, is described by UMA president and CEO, Victor Parra, as one of the most well-respected operators in the Southeast and on Capitol Hill. He added that his operation is “one of those companies that’s held up as an operating model.”

“Ralph runs an exceptional, long-established company,” Parra says. “He’s got a long history, having been involved in this industry not just as an operator but as a contributor as well.”

Young has helped UMA set policy for the last 10 years with his involvement in its Membership and Bylaws and Marketing Committees.

“Despite the respect he enjoys you wouldn’t know that when you meet the man; he doesn’t seek the spotlight,” Parra adds. “But when you hear people talk about him and see him in action, [you know] he is an exceptional individual.”

As an operator of package tours, Young was also very supportive of co-locating the UMA Expo with the National Tour Association.

“Because he understands both the tour and charter sides of the business, and his opinions are so well respected, he helped steer that decision in the right direction,” Parra says.

Parra points to a significant increase in operator attendance at the UMA Expo this year over last year as a result of Young’s support.  

Additionally, Young has served on the board of directors of the North Carolina Motorcoach Association, including several terms as president, since 1960. In 2009, he was inducted into the North Carolina Transportation Hall of Fame.

To honor his outstanding achievements in the industry, METRO Magazine selected T. Ralph Young as its 2013 Motorcoach Operator of the Year. METRO Associate Publisher Mark Hollenbeck presented the award to Young at the UMA’s 2013 Motorcoach Expo in Orlando, Fla., in January.

Family, teamwork
While it may be a family business with three generations involved, Young Transportation also relies on more than blood family, Young says.

“I look at the whole operation as one big family and everybody else [here] thinks that way. We work together. If someone here is hurting for whatever reason the others come in to help,” he says.

Young also finds interacting with and incorporating ideas from peers to have been crucial to keeping Young Transportation successful.

Hank Garbee, CEO, Young Transportation, Young’s son-in-law, who has worked with him for 15 years, agrees that Young’s willingness to listen to others and try new ideas has contributed to the operation’s success and longevity. He cites as an example an idea he shared with Young to get the operation involved in 20 Groups about 13 years ago.

“I had gone to an [International Motor Coach Group] meeting. I thought it was a good idea that we participate, and he was open to doing that,” Garbee says. “We’ve been doing them ever since. They’ve been very good for our business.”

The 20 Group helped Young Transportation establish benchmarking for financials, such as expense ratios and revenue goals.

Young is turning over company ownership to the third generation this year; however, he still plans to work for the operation.

“[My] son-in-law and nephew [Tom Crouch] are proven, capable and hard-working,” Young says. “I can’t say enough about them.”
Above all, this dedication is the key component to success in the motorcoach industry, Young advises.

“Early on, I wanted to move a group of people. I was going to do it no matter what it took. If you’re not dedicated, you [don’t] need to be in it, because it’s a hard struggle. It’s rewarding when you accomplish big things, but it is very hard to do, and it’s a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week job.”

He also encourages operators to not lose heart during the tough times.

“It took me around 20 years to start realizing that I was doing the right thing,” Young says. “The business was beginning to flourish and make a dollar. The best thing I ever did was get the family involved.”