(From L to R) ABC's Ryhan Cornell, DC Trails' Bill Torres, ABC's Greg Goedde, and ABC's Brian Pinckney.
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(From L to R) ABC's Ryhan Cornell, DC Trails' Bill Torres, ABC's Greg Goedde, and ABC's Brian Pinckney.
ABC Companies chose the 2018 UMA Expo as the stage to celebrate the 10,000th Van Hool delivery in North America to DC Trails. Roman Cornell, executive VP/CCO, introduced Bill Torres, owner of DC Trails with his wife, Liliana, and noted how pleased ABC was to celebrate this milestone with the Torres and DC Trails.
Roman spoke of how when Clancy Cornell signed the agreement with Van Hool in 1987 to become the exclusive North American distributor Clancy never fathomed how successful the partnership with Van Hool would become. “We all wish Clancy could have been with us to celebrate this achievement. None of this would have been possible without his tireless dedication to our industry and the loyal business and personal relationships he established throughout his life,” he said.
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Ryhan Cornell, ABC Account Manager, presented Bill with orange custom designed “DC Trails” socks as a special gift to celebrate this event. “Wildman Bill Torres has a passion for Harley’s and for socks, added Roman. “We are happy to add these socks to his rather extensive collection.”
Combining two existing motorcoach operations Bill and Liliana Torres formed DC Trails in 2002. Since then, they've built one of the largest and most multifaceted operations on the East Coast. Between them, the Torres now have more than 60 years of coach operating experience and have expanded and diversified the company into a regional powerhouse with over units.
Originally primarily a charter company based in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area, DC Trails currently provides charter to destinations throughout the Eastern Seaboard and Canada, handling groups ranging from 36 to 57 passengers. In addition they provide airport transfers, a variety of sightseeing tours, and scheduled service.
DC Trails recently added Hop-on-Hop-off service allowing tourists to experience the nation’s capitol's major attractions at their own pace. Utilizing a mix of open-top and closed-top refurbished Van Hool TD925 double deckers as sightseeing buses, they travel a loop that includes he White House, US Capitol, Arlington National Cemetery, the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum, the FDR & Martin Luther King Memorials, and the Vietnam War Memorial.
Premiums remain elevated. Underwriting scrutiny is intense. And claims costs continue to rise at historic levels. Behind those numbers lies a complex mix of legal, medical, and cultural forces reshaping the commercial landscape.
The company said it has remained the most widely purchased model in the new coach market across the US and Canada, according to historical data from the Motorcoach Builders Survey conducted by the American Bus Association
A phased approach to technology, in-house capabilities, and workforce investment is helping transportation leaders break the reactive cycle and build more resilient, revenue-focused operations.
The company's flagship H3-45 is also the best-selling 45-foot motorcoach in North America, according to vehicle registration data from S&P Global Mobility (Polk).
METRO’s Executive Editor Alex Roman spoke with Mueller about the opening event, the company’s progress since launching in late 2022, and the road ahead.
METRO Executive Editor Alex Roman presented the award to the operation’s President/CEO Scott Parsons at the United Motorcoach Association’s EXPO in Birmingham, Alabama.
The new facility, spanning more than 43,000 square feet, includes pre-delivery inspection, a large repair, maintenance, and service center, an administrative building, and a dedicated training and delivery center for customers and service partners.
