Karst Stage Inc., Bozeman, Mont

Montana's oldest motorcoach operator is updating its fleet with the addition of three Prevost H3-45 coaches.
Jerry Perkins, president of the company that he and his wife, Cathleen, purchased 23 years ago, said he "chose to go with Prevost for the modern look and the outstanding quality. ... We purchased our first Prevost buses in 1998 and have been very happy since, which is why we are adding three more to our fleet."
Karst Stage was founded 102 years ago to haul loggers and freight. A half-dozen years after its founding, the company opened a dude ranch, and by 1916 it was operating motor tours into Yellowstone National Park.
In the 1950s, after the founder, Pete Karst, sold the business and its various ventures were split up, the company gravitated to school bus transportation.
Following the Perkins purchase of the company in 1981, they expanded the school bus service from the Bozeman district to other communities; developed an airport shuttle; provided transit service, and expanded into charter motorcoach service. It has a diverse fleet of 65 vehicles, including 19 motorcoaches, 7 of which are Prevosts.
Last November, the company purchased another Bozeman coach operator, Montana Motorcoach, and early last year it acquired an airport shuttle based at the Bozeman airport.
Today, the company attracts tourists looking to experience the beauty of Yellowstone Park, the excitement of gambling junkets, the battlefield where Gen. George Armstrong Custer died, and the thrills of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.

The Martz Group, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

The Martz Group has purchased 16 new MCI J4500 motorcoaches, representing a significant investment to improve customer service, reports company Chairman Frank M. Henry.
Twelve of coaches are going to Martz Trailways in Wilkes-Barre. Robert Chepalonis, general manager at Martz Trailways, said the buses will replace older vehicles assigned to the firm's daily regional passenger service to New York City, Philadelphia. and Atlantic City.
"Providing our daily commuters with the latest, most reliable equipment is extremely important in maintaining our relationship with that segment of our customers," says Michael J. Sanfilippo, sales manager for Martz Trailways. "These particular customers depend on our daily line runs to get them to work each day."
Two of the 16 coaches will be going to Martz First Class Coach of St. Petersburg, Fla., one to Martz Gold Line/Gray Line of Washington, D.C., and one to Martz National Coach of Fredericksburg, Va.
The new J4500s accommodate 56 passengers in American seats. The units also are equipped with a Carrier climate-control system, National drivers' seats, Ricon S&S wheelchair lifts, REI A/V systems with DVDs and VCRs, and Accuride wheels.
The coaches also have Series 60 Detroit Diesel engines, ZF AS-Tronic transmissions, and air suspensions with automatic leveling and kneeling features.
The Martz Group, founded in 1908, has subsidiary bus companies in the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Florida.

Washington Metro Area Transit Authority, Washington

Washington Metro Area Transit Authority has ordered 175 Orion VII low-floor, CNG-fueled buses from Orion Bus Industries, a division of DaimlerChrysler Commercial Buses North America.
"WMATA has a best-value procedure that considers both the technical proposal and the cost. The Orion VII proved to be the best value to meet our needs," said Robert Golden, manager of bus engineering at WMATA. "We've operated Orion buses for years and they have performed very well on our duty cycle."
Nearly 600 of WMATA's 1,500-bus fleet came from Orion. The new buses, scheduled for delivery starting in the spring, will be the first Orion VII buses to join the fleet and the first alternative-fueled Orion buses.
WMATA currently operates about 150 CNG-fueled buses.
"We're proud to be a part of WMATA's efforts to reduce emissions," said Patrick Scully, chief commercial officer of Orion Bus Industries. "Orion has built a successful long-standing partnership with WMATA. When these Orion VII buses go into service, WMATA will be the only customer in the United States that has every Orion model in its fleet."
WMATA has 59 of the original 60 Orion V buses in service from its first order delivered in 1992, and 263 buses of its second Orion V order delivered in 1997/8. In addition, there are 42 Orion II buses delivered in 1999 and 132 Orion V and 100 Orion VI buses delivered in 2000.
The Orion VII 40-foot bus features a low-floor design with kneeling and two entrance doors. Each bus is fully accessible and has seating capacity for 41 passengers, including two wheelchair positions.
The buses are equipped with Cummins CNG engines, multiplexed electrical systems, and air conditioning.
WMATA operates the fifth largest bus network and second largest rail transit system in the U.S., transporting more than a third of the federal government to work and millions of tourists to the landmarks of the nation's capital.