The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
Jon Leonard formally takes over Leonard Bus Sales
ROME, N.Y. » Mike Leonard, former owner and president of Leonard Bus Sales Inc. (LBS), announced Feb. 25 that his son, Jon Leonard, has officially taken the driver’s seat as president and will own the company jointly with his four brothers Patrick, Ben, Dan, and Chris, continuing the family business of three generations.
“I am honored that after a long and thoughtful succession planning process, our son Jon decided to purchase the business and assume the leadership role at Leonard Bus Sales,” Mike Leonard said in a news release.
“Barb and I couldn’t be prouder of Jon, and our sons Patrick, Ben, Dan, and Chris for the commitment and dedication they have demonstrated over the years. Having Jon at the helm means Leonard Bus Sales will remain a family-owned business. It also ensures the culture that we have fostered over the years, like making safety-a-priority, will continue to be demonstrated to our school transportation partners for years to come.”
The succession plan for continuing family ownership has been in the works for a number of years, according to LBS.
For the past five years, Jon Leonard served as the vice president of LBS, with responsibility for the day-to-day operations.
LBS says that from the start, the goal of the succession process was to implement an ownership, leadership, and management transition plan that supported the continued success of LBS and its school transportation partners, as well as provided clarity regarding major decisions.
To this end, Jon and his four brothers purchased the company together from their father, with Jon purchasing all of the voting shares.
During his time as vice president, LBS says Jon focused on
providing the Leonard Bus Sales team with a clear vision for a sustainable future through promoting consistency, increasing accountability, and improving the way the LBS team communicated and operated. This focus is the natural progression of the culture instilled by Gerald and Helen Leonard when they founded the company back in 1965, according to the LBS press release.
Jon also credits Leonard Bus Sales’ staff of nearly 200 employees for embracing and driving change and for making sure each one of their school transportation partners is treated like family.
“I want to thank my parents for having the confidence in me to lead Leonard Bus Sales. I also want to thank them for teaching me about the school transportation business and why it is clearly one of the most important industries in the country,” said Jon Leonard.
“The school buses we sell, service and support for our school transportation partners are carrying life’s most precious cargo. It is a huge responsibility and it’s something that we think about every day at Leonard Bus Sales. I look forward to working with our team to build upon the foundation of our success which was established by my grandparents and my parents.”
The press release reported that Jon’s brothers Patrick, Ben, and Dan will continue their current roles at LBS ensuring that the company remains the family-focused business it has been for three generations. Chris, the fourth Leonard brother, will continue his career in commercial construction at his company, Leonard Contractors Inc., located in Tampa, Florida.