During a recent meeting in Koningshooikt, Belgium, Filip Van Hool and Roman Cornell finalized details of continuing the existing long-term distribution agreement for Van Hool motorcoaches in the North American market through ABC Companies.
Roman Cornell stated, “It is amazing to see the synergies between the Cornell and Van Hool families. Both Fillip and I are the third generation of family-operated organizations that have embraced the approach of serving the customer first to create success that lasts. It is a great honor for both of us to carry on the traditions started by our grandparents and further solidified by our parents and their siblings. My recent transition into the CEO role at ABC Companies was under the close mentorship of my uncle, Dane Cornell, who took the reins of our organization as CEO and helped solidify the foundation established by Clancy and Ron Cornell. The foundation put in place by Dane and his leadership through continually evolving markets serves as the jump-off point for our next phase of growth. This growth is only possible with strong long-term partners like Van Hool. Their quality products, desire to understand and meet customers’ evolving needs, and dedication to the North American market have resulted in ABC delivering almost 12,000 new motorcoach units into the US and Canadian markets since 1987. The shared focus of the Cornell and Van Hool families has been the driving factor through some truly challenging times. Van Hool’s decision to take extraordinary measures to keep their plants running throughout the pandemic is a testament to their dedication to the North American market and customer base. Bold decisions like these allowed ABC to meet the needs of customers who added to their fleets even during the pandemic. This unique relationship allows Van Hool to focus on their core strength of engineering and building world-class motorcoaches, while the ABC team sells, markets, services, and supports the North American customer base, acting as an advocate for their needs.”
Cornell continued, “Over the past 24 months, we have dramatically grown our product portfolio, making electric versions of the Van Hool CX45 and TDX double deck, while vetting and bringing on several cutaway and passenger van suppliers. Building distribution partnerships with quality brands like Turtle Top, Frontrunner, Sunset, Coach & Equipment and more allows us to not only reach new markets but also service our existing customers with more vehicle options. With our current product portfolio, we can provide solutions for 8-81 passengers, traveling across the country or town, and do so with ICE/combustion or zero emissions. We are proud of our expansion and growth as it allows us to better serve our markets and industries while bringing generations of dedication to our customers for years to come.” Don’t miss the chance to explore ABC Companies and ABC Parts Source™ game-changing solutions at the ABA Marketplace (Booth# 2319) and UMA Expo (Booth# 1018).