Evolving Enterprise McIlwain School Bus Lines transporting students for 76 years

Russ O Reilly, The Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown, Pa.
·3 min read

Apr. 9—McIlwain School Bus Lines and McIlwain Charters and Tours, 1551 Ferndale Ave., is a third-generation family business.

The answers to the following questions were provided by company President Tim McIlwain.

The goal of presenting this questionnaire to business owners highlighted by Evolving Enterprise is to show how time-tested businesses have grown and endured.

Question: How did your business start?

Answer: McIlwain School Bus Lines started in 1947, just after World War II, when my grandfather, Robert McIlwain, started transporting students to Conemaugh Township School District in Somerset County. He was a farmer and my grandmother, Margaret McIlwain, was a schoolteacher.

Question: What were some of the major developments in the business over time?

Answer: My grandfather saw the immediate need school districts had to transport students to and from school.

He expanded the business over the next 25 years by contracting with other local districts. Of course, safety features such as stop signs, cross arms and child checks have been implemented over that time.

Currently, we are seeing a shift away from diesel-powered buses to alternative fuels like propane and electric being the next generation of school buses.

Question: How has your business evolved to what it is today?

Answer: We have always been committed to providing safety, service and stability to the districts we service. That has been and will always be our mission.

Throughout the years, we have seen an increase in specialized schools throughout the area and students who require special accommodation to be transported to those schools.

We currently transport to more than 90 different schools in the area and have a fleet of more than 70 vans to meet these requirements.

Question: What's most rewarding about your business?

Answer: The most rewarding part about our business is the relationships we have established over the years with employees, students, families and school administrators. Our drivers see students who graduate and grow up to become successful individuals. Some of our drivers have driven three generations of families. Our business is made up of such a diverse group of individuals and we have truly become a family.

Question: How broad is the territory reached by your products or services?

Answer: We contract with eight local school districts within Somerset and Cambria counties. We have an office and bus routes as far north as Cresson in Penn Cambria School District and as far south as Berlin Brothersvalley in Somerset County.

Question: What have been your biggest business challenges?

Answer: Our biggest challenge as a business has been government over-regulation and unfunded mandates placed on school bus contractors.

School bus transportation is the safest form of ground transportation in the world, and both federal and state legislators continue to place more burdensome laws and guidelines on the industry. On average, it takes four to six months to train and license a new school bus driver, which has led to a significant strain on the labor market.

Question: What advice do you have for people who want to open and sustain a business in Johnstown?

My advice is to surround yourself with leaders and positive individuals, know the intricacies of the business, stay committed to the mission and most importantly take care of your employees. We are grateful to have employees, some who have been part of our organization for over 45 years, still showing up every day to make sure students get to and from school safely each day.