LAS VEGAS The motorcoach industrys top honors were handed out at UMA Motorcoach Expo here last month, with eight major awards going to individuals, companies and a leading family.

Expos annual Operator Luncheon and Vision Awards Banquet were the forums for dispensing the wide spectrum of honors that recognize the industrys best and brightest for stepping up and doing their utmost for an industry that has experienced better days.

Expo has established itself as the premier event for acknowledging coach industry stars, and the Vision Awards Banquet has become the social highlight of the annual exposition. It is a festive evening that invariably contains a surprise or two.

This year, the big stunner was UMA President and CEO Victor Parra outfitted as a swashbuckler, complete with eye patch and pirate garb, participating in a highly choreographed mock sword fight aimed at drawing attention to the site of next years Expo -- Tampa, Fla.

Tampas principal civic festival is named after a late 18th century and early 19th seafaring rogue named Jose Gaspar. As a mutineer from the Royal Spanish Navy, Gaspar and his pirate band roamed the coast of Spanish Florida for nearly 40 years, until 1821, sacking passing ships and amassing a huge treasure.

UMA Motorcoach Expo 2011 will be Jan 19-23 at the Tampa Convention Center.

Here are the winners of the awards presented at this years Expo:

Metro Magazine Motorcoach Operator of the Year: Jeff Polzien of Red Carpet Charters in Oklahoma City. He was honored for being an outstanding bus operator and for his industry contributions.

Polzien, who has a background in finance and accounting, founded his company 25 years ago with five old buses. He said he had to have five buses because "we never had more than three running at one time."

Today, Polzien has 62 motorcoaches, making him the second-largest coach operator in the Great Plains (behind only Arrow Stage Lines of Omaha, Neb.) and nearly 200 other vehicles, mostly school buses. He diversified his coach business about six years ago by starting a school bus operation in Texas.

Red Carpet is a member of the International Motor Coach Group and Polzien served the past year as secretary of UMA.

In accepting the award from Metro Publisher Frank Di Giacomo, Polzien said he was accepting it on behalf of his employees.

BusRide Motorcoach Industry Achievement Award: Raymon J. Land III of Fabulous Coach Lines in Branford, Fla.

The award, which honors companies that have developed a record of success or overcome obstacles, honored Land for having founded and built Fabulous Coach Lines into a 19-bus company, during a six-year-period, and done it by the age of 23.

In accepting the award, Land said it was for all of his staff.

Land, who is vice president of the Florida Motorcoach Association, received the award from BusRide Editor David Hubbard.

UMA Safety Leader of the Year: Wes Barber of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

The Safety Leader award honors an individual who has made a measurable impact on the safety culture of the industry or of their company.

Barber, who spent a dozen years in the bus industry before joining the predecessor of the FMCSA 18 years ago, is the federal agencys resident expert on motorcoach safety.

He has served as a safety investigator assigned to the FMCSAs busy New Jersey division, and he chairs the agencys National Passenger Technical Advisory Group, a team of specialists within the FMCSA who focus on passenger transportation safety.

He represents the FMCSA on the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance Passenger Carrier Committee and he is the recipient of a number of FMCSA awards for his knowledge and dedication, including the agencys highest honor, the Superior Achievement Award.

As a result of his close work with the over-the-road bus industry, he has become a widely known and respected by coach operators.

Barber was presented the award by Matthew Daecher of Daecher Consulting Group, which sponsors the award and selects the winner.

Green Highway Award: Ronald Bast of Riteway Bus Service in Richfield, Wis.

The award is presented to an operator that has demonstrated "the greatest commitment to green stewardship in the areas of internal corporate initiative, external corporate stewardship or community, and industry-wide green leadership."

Riteway has adopted numerous environmental-related initiatives that extend to virtually every sector of the company and beyond. Its "Environmental Sustainability Program," which is outlined on its website, includes energy and emissions reduction programs, as well as a recycling initiative.

The company holds membership in Travel Green Wisconsin, Wisconsin Clean Cities, Wisconsin Partners for Clean Air, and the University of Vermont Certified Green Coach programs.

The company operates a fleet of more than 30 motorcoaches, 500 school buses and 30 limousines and cars from eight locations. It has 700 employees.

Bast, who said he "loves the smell of diesel fuel in the morning," had a simple five-word recommendation for the industry and his fellow operators: "Lets get a little greener."

The award was presented by Mitch Guralnick of Motor Coach Industries.

There was a "special presentation" during the awards banquet, with outgoing UMA Chairman Godfrey LeBron extending "Exemplary Leadership and Vision Recognition" to ABC Companies of Faribault, Minn.

UMA singled ABC out for the honor because of its support for Bus & Motorcoach Academy, the popular continuing education program created and operated by the association.

ABC was an early supporter of the academy and provided a large grant to support the programs and mission. In recognition of the company largesse, the academys owner/manager-related education component was named the Clarence Cornell School of Business. Cornell founded ABC Companies and is its chairman.

In accepting the award, ABC President and CEO Dane Cornell noted that his father and the company had been long-time supporters of improved industry standards, and the companies support of Bus & Motorcoach Academy was a way to "give back to the industry and remember our father."

The UMA Maintenance Interchange Maintenance Competition was conducted for the fourth consecutive year as part of Motorcoach Expo. Those individuals attending the interchange were invited to participate in a competition involving a written test and a timed diagnostic inspection. The competition was conducted at Arrow Stage Lines facility in Las Vegas.

This years grand champion was Wes Kanaga of Peoria Charter Coach Co. in Peoria, Ill., who won the competition last year at Motorcoach Expo 2009 in Orlando, making him the first repeat winner.

He was awarded a plaque and a gift certificate by Kevin Whitworth of Whitworth Bus in Dayton, Ohio, who coordinates the Maintenance Interchange and Maintenance Competition.

Kanaga made a strong appeal to operators to send someone from their maintenance departments to attend the Maintenance Interchange each year at Expo. He said technicians and maintenance supervisors pick up a busload of valuable information at the interchange.

First runner in the maintenance competition his year was Craig Fong of Coach America San Francisco, and second runner up was Richard Wenzel of Rockford Charter Coach in Rockford, Ill., who also was second runner up last year.

This years Maintenance Interchange was the 12th such event.

The highlight of the awards banquet was the presentation of the UMA Vision Awards by UMA board member Jeff Polzien.

"The awards recognize those companies that establish new standards of performance, companies that raise the bar in all areas marketing, maintenance, operation and safety.

"In short, these companies give us a target to aim for, a higher standard to measure ourselves against," said Polzien.

UMA Vision Award/Small Operator (fewer than 15 coaches): H & L Charter of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.

H & L Charter was started 26 years by Herb and Laura Fickett. Their son helped grow the company during the early years until his untimely death.

Now, his widow, Elaine Fickett, is at the helm, continuing the legacy of service and high standards with a fleet that numbers 11 coaches.

"One of the biggest reasons for this companys success is its proactive involvement beyond the normal day-to-day tasks of operating a transportation company," said Polzien. "Elaine is devoted to serving the industry."

She serves on the board and is secretary of the California Bus Association, and is actively involved with UMA, the National Tour Association and a variety of other industry organizations.

Fickett appeared to be genuinely moved by being singled out for the Vision Award. Not only did she capture the award, but she also took away the honor of giving the longest acceptance speech since UMA created its awards seven years ago.

She gave heart-felt thanks to a long list of individuals who had helped her over the years, including her "mentor," Darlene Cochran, a California coach industry legend; California bus industry leaders Mike Waters and Dan Eisentrager of Coach America; coach salesmen Charlie Walser of ABC Companies and Mark Lein of Prevost; her bus maintenance guru Jacque Gagne, and even long-time Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. regional manager Edward Bowman, who took the time to educate her about all things tires.

She said she wanted to share the award with her employees, her two daughters, and "with you" the attendees of Motorcoach Expo.

UMA Vision Award/Large Operator (15 or more coaches): Bauers Intelligent Transportation of San Francisco.

Polzien, who chairs UMA's Vision Awards Committee, said Bauers had developed a unique alternative transportation service in a challenging and changing marketplace.

"The companys business model was transformed from an award-winning limousine service to a motorcoach and shuttle transportation solution leader, where safety and innovation is the guiding principal.

"The business transformation took risk, creativity, vision and insight. This company stayed in tune with the current transportation needs of the community and . . . has emerged victorious in growth and in industry leadership despite rising fuel costs and difficult times.

"Also, having been the recipient of the 2009 UMA Green Highway Award, this company is at the forefront of the green initiative by incorporating green technology into daily operations," said Polzien.

In accepting the award, Gary Bauer said he was pleased by the award but noted that the happiest day of his life had come a few days earlier when he had gotten engaged on Valentines Day.

Bauer said success stems from the vision we all create, and his company continues to strive to be innovative and look for ways to be more environmentally friendly.