Lakewood, Colo.’s All Aboard America Holdings Inc. (AAAHI) received METRO Magazine’s Innovative Motorcoach Operator of the Year award at The American Bus Association's (ABA) Marketplace in Nashville.

Trisha Fridrich, VP, business development and marketing, was on hand to accept the award during the ABA's Operator Breakfast.

“It’s always incredible to be recognized for the work you are doing and we are honored by the award,” Fridrich, VP, business development and marketing, told METRO Magazine about winning the award. “Innovation is a term that most people think about in terms of technology, but part of ours is in our business strategy. We essentially have six separate, and previously successful, operations who found a home that enables them to continue to grow while retaining their independence. That is something that is often overlooked but is very innovative in and of itself.”

The AAAHI Difference

In 2012 when Hotard Coaches and All Aboard America! joined forces under the AAHI umbrella nobody knew quite what to expect, but today AAAHI stands as the fourth largest motorcoach provider in the U.S. with six companies serving the South, Southwest, and beyond.

Its companies include Arizona’s All Aboard America; Colorado’s Ace Express Coaches;  Louisiana’s Hotard Coaches; Southern California’s Sun Diego Charter; California’s Lux Bus America; and Texas’ First Class Transportation, which combined serves thousands of customers while sharing in a common mission to deliver the highest levels of safety and service in each region.

In June of this year, the Australian-based Kelsian Group successfully completed the acquisition of AAAHI, folding it further under the umbrella of Kelsian’s global footprint of operations in the transportation and tourism sectors spanning Australia, Singapore, London, and the Channel Islands.

AAAHI is now led by CEO Graeme Legh, who re-located his family closer to the company’s Denver-based headquarters when he took over the position in September.

Honoring Innovation

For several years, METRO has celebrated innovative motorcoach operators with the Innovative Motorcoach Operator of the Year Award at ABA’s Marketplace.

The award returned to this year’s Marketplace following a brief hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We can’t think of a better company to honor than All Aboard America Holdings Inc.,” said METRO Publisher George Brennan. “By staying on the cutting edge with everything from IT to data to sustainability, they are a tremendous example of what the Innovative Motorcoach Operator of the Year Award is all about.”