Wichita, Kansas-based Village Travel has acquired Arrow Coach Lines of Little Rock, Arkansas, according to a statement released by both companies.
The deal took effect Nov. 1, according to Arrow Coach Lines’ website.
Initially established as Houston Bigelow Bus Line, Arrow Coach Lines has been continuously operated by the Henry Lienhart family since 1944. Over the years, Arrow has operated fixed-route services, school buses and charter coaches.
At the time of the sale, its fleet consisted of nine charter coaches and five vans that provide service for schools, churches, businesses and the U.S. Army.
Village Travel, which has headquarters in Wichita and locations in Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Arkansas, operates one of the largest charter coach fleets in the country. In addition to its 160 charter coaches, Village operates a fleet of 20 entertainer coaches that transport bands and their stage crews to performance venues all over the U.S.
Arrow’s facility in Little Rock will continue to serve the Village fleet, and nearly all of Arrow Coach Lines’ employees have been retained.
“We’re really excited about building on Arrow’s 79-year history in Little Rock,” said Jeff Arensdorf, CEO of Village Travel. “Arrow and Village are both family businesses that take similar approaches to customer service. Their longtime customers can expect the same excellent level of safety and service that they are used to when they now use Village.”
