Croswell Bus Lines Inc. a tour, charter, and ground transportation provider based in Williamsburg, Ohio, is celebrating 100 years of providing transportation services across the U.S. The company was founded in 1921 by R.S. Croswell and his wife Jesse and provided line run service to workers and military personnel between Portsmouth and Cincinnati, Ohio.
Today, four generations later, the business has grown to become a respected and reliable ground transport resource throughout the Midwest, providing a wide range of tour and charter service for corporations, professional athletic teams and leisure travelers, institutional and university shuttle service, and local and small group passenger transport utilizing its diversified fleet of full-size, luxury motorcoaches, mini-coaches, sprinter, and passenger vans.
Built on a solid foundation of family values, and a 24/7 work ethic, the Croswell management team believes that by “taking care of the business first, the business will take care of the family”. That ethos has never been more evident than during the past year, and a 100% commitment to the business and their customers is priority one. “Adversity is a test, and when things get difficult you need to do the right thing. We’ve shown our customers throughout this challenging period that we are willing to work with them because we value their loyalty above all,” said John Croswell, president.
The company is among the founding members of the International Motorcoach Group (IMG), and a charter member of Spader 20 groups. Via participation and engagement with peers, Croswell acknowledges the importance of exploring business issues and insights, but moreover, understanding the challenges of other family-owned operations is invaluable. “We don’t’ consider ourselves to be a bus company run by a family, more so a family business that happens to be running buses. It’s our core values and willingness to make sacrifices that have kept this company strong and able to survive virtually every major historic upheaval throughout our 100 years”.
The pandemic has hit their business hard, like most motorcoach operators, and the Croswell family is hopeful for a resurgence in the coming months. The family believes that there is a pent-up demand for travel and that bookings and contracts will begin to improve later this year. Operating at extremely low capacity, with less resources and fewer employees including drivers who have moved on to other jobs, the company is focused on planning how it will stage up as business begins to rebound. Investing in more efficient administrative, safety, and operational technologies are part of the company’s future-looking strategy.
“We would like to express our sincere appreciation to the customers, dealers, suppliers, business partners and the local community, who have supported us over the years through good and bad times, to whom we owe our 100 years of existence. As we look ahead to the next 100 years, we will continue to put people first and to create unique experiences that provide the highest levels of service and reliability that our customers love,” said Croswell.
“ABC Companies is proud to congratulate the Croswell family on this major milestone, and we look forward to supporting their success in the coming years ahead”, said Brenda Borwege, sr. VP for ABC Companies Midwest-Southwest Region. ABC has designed a special bus-wrap featuring Croswell’s 100 Year Anniversary logo that will be used on over-the-road coaches as well as in the local market to promote the company’s centennial year.
Croswell Bus Lines has planned several centenary anniversary themed events throughout 2021, which will transpire based on forthcoming pandemic protocols.
