Davey Coach Sales builds on decades of service

The company considers itself a “one-stop shop” for bus operators

Davey Coach Sales began in 1992, beginning the company’s journey with only a single used bus. Today, the operation occupies seven acres and multiple dealerships across the United States.

Though Davey Coach Sales experienced modest growth throughout the 1990s, business picked up in 2003 and hasn’t slowed since. Since that time, the company added more than 50 employees and expanded from dealing exclusively in Turtle Top buses to multiple product lines.

“Davey Coach grew to be in a position where manufacturers now ask us to represent their lines in our region,” says Josh Davey, vice president of sales & marketing at Davey Coach Sales. “It’s an advantageous position for our company, and it’s due to our formidable reputation and track record of success.”


A total package of service

John Walsh, president and COO of Davey Coach Holdings, and Josh Davey say they have seen a shift in the small and midsize bus marketplace, and that Davey is poised to capitalize on that shift with its diverse offerings.

“Customers are ready for better-quality buses from a better-quality dealership,” Davey says. “Our ability to offer a full-suite, one-stop shop of services has always been a principal component in our business model. Once we earn a customer’s business, our goal is that they’ll never need to buy from another source.”

Josh Davey, vice president of sales & marketing at Davey Coach Sales.

 

Diverse selection

Davey Coach sales offers a range of new and pre-owned vehicles, from 15-passenger vans to 49-passenger buses. Popular product lines like ARBOC Specialty Vehicles, Champion, Collins, Diamond, Elkhart Coach, Goshen Coach, Krystal and Turtle Top are available in a variety of models.

“We have worked very diligently to become as vertically integrated as possible. We have new bus offerings from 15 different manufacturers, which we represent,” Davey says. “We can hit any passenger capacity for any specialized requirement.”

Davey says that Davey Coach Sales is unique in that it takes trade-in vehicles, and also because the company has a very extensive reconditioning process for pre-owned buses. That process includes new tires and brakes, a U.S. Department of Transportation (US DOT) inspection and, in some cases, a new exterior finish and paint job. If anything out of the ordinary is discovered during the US DOT inspection, Davey Coach Sales will repair or replace as needed.

After-sale support

The company has always taken great pride in servicing and supporting its customers. As the number of vehicles Davey Coach Sales distributes every year grows, the company has shifted its focus to take care of the vehicles its customers have on the road.

“We helped deploy buses into 42 states in 2017,” Davey says. “Our customers have made a solid investment, so we need to make sure those buses stay operational.”

Davey’s full-scale service department conducts everything from wheelchair-lift maintenance to HVAC, tire, brake, paint and body work. The company’s parts department offers nationwide shipping, so customers can choose to work on their vehicles themselves or they can coordinate with Davey Coach Sales and its network of service center affiliates.

Rentals, leasing and graphics

Cornerstone Bus Rentals and Leasing is the rental and leasing division of Davey Coach Sales. The department offers customized leasing terms and mileage demands on the same inventory of new and pre-owned vehicles it offers for sale.

Many clients like to try out a vehicle for a few months before they commit to purchasing. Cornerstone offers short-term rentals and, if a customer decides they want to purchase, will work out a long-term lease of purchase agreement.

“It’s like they’ve been making payments all along,” Davey says. “This is a very unique program, and it keeps us supplied with many great late-model, low-mileage, pre-owned vehicles, which is in limited supply in the United States.”

Furthering Davey Coach Sales one-stop shop reputation is the graphics division. Big Picture Graphics, and their on-site 3M-certified installers, can handle everything from simple cut-vinyl logos to full exterior wraps.

Moving ahead

Josh Davey says Davey Coach Sales is currently in a very aggressive growth pattern, making it the fastest-growing bus dealership in the nation. Fresh off a recent acquisition, he says the company is in discussion with a handful of other dealerships for further expansion.

“We were, ourselves, acquired last year by a private equity firm called Progress Equity Partners, a fantastic group that we couldn’t be more excited to partner with,” Davey says. “They’re intrigued by our industry, and they’ve got a very aggressive growth pattern for us, and for those dealerships we bring under our banner.”

In the age of customized and personalized service, Davey Coach Sales’ ability to be a one-stop shop separates the company from its peers. Davey says the company prides itself on listening to customers, while also offering some of its own expertise derived from 30 years in the industry, to give them the vehicle they’re seeking.

“We want to share some of our knowledge with our customers, so that they can be more successful at their businesses,” Davey says. “Their success is our success.”