Escot Bus Lines received the prestigious honor of Operator of the Year, 2012 during the final evening event of the International Motor Coach Group's (IMG) 15th Annual Strategic Alliance Meeting in Minneapolis.

IMG each year recognizes one of their own, based on operational excellence, safety record, best practices, community and industry involvement and engagement within the International Motor Coach Group.

The Operator of the Year award was accepted by Brian Scott, president and Pamela Scott-Calixto, vice president of Escot. They were joined on stage by their father, Lewis Scott, who started Escot Bus Lines in 1983 with his wife Diane, providing a shuttle service between St. Petersburg and Tampa Bay, Fla. using just two mini-buses.

Today, Escot based in Largo, Fla. and with offices also in Orlando and Sarasota, operate a fleet of charter motorcoaches. In his acceptance speech, Brian Scott praised the commitment of his staff and dedication they have shown throughout the years to customer service and safety. "We have built a family company that we are all very proud of, and Escot is delighted to receive this honor from our fellow IMG companies," he said.

Scott has served in many roles within IMG and was Chairman of the organization in 2008-2010. He has been active as a board member and is IMG's representative on the Board of the  Global Passenger Network (GPN), an organization founded by IMG.

IMG is a private organization consisting of more than 45 of North America's elite motorcoach companies. Each member company prides themselves on their commitment to customer service, safety and dependability. As a network, IMG provides transportation to over 21 million charter and tour customers annually.