FARIBAULT, Minn. – ABC Companies and Van Hool are celebrating their 30th anniversary as business partners.
The family-owned companies joined forces in 1987 to offer Van Hool’s premium European motorcoaches in the American market, supported by ABC’s established distribution, sales, parts and service network.
Since then Van Hool has modified equipment models and subsequently introduced a series of fully Americanized versions that have steadily gained popularity, grown market share and increased customer loyalty.
“There are a number of key turning points in our history together,” said Roman Cornell, ABC’s chief commercial officer. “And it’s exciting to see where the breakthroughs occurred.”
A notable milestone was the breakaway success of the Van Hool C2000 series, built exclusively for the North American market and introduced in 2000.
Within a year, it not only became the most popular imported coach in the United States, it also outsold all the other imported coach models combined, Cornell said.
“Customers loved this product because it was the direct result of listening to their input,” he said. “While they know to expect premium quality and support from Van Hool and ABC, I believe what they really appreciate is the hands-on aspect of working with both of our companies.”
There currently are more than 10,000 Van Hool motorcoaches on the road.
“Customers know that we are just as invested in surviving and succeeding as they are,” said Van Hool CEO Filip Van Hool.
He said the family-oriented cultures at both ABC and Van Hool make it easy for customers to do business with their firms, offering significant benefits that are not applicable when transacting with a larger corporate structure.
“Our priority is to give customers the confidence and the solutions they need to support their operations,” said ABC Chairman and CEO Dane Cornell, adding that the company’s entrepreneurial business approach supports that objective.
Cornell noted that few manufacturers could claim that they’ve had three generations actively run a successful business, a trait shared with many operators throughout North America.
Accessibility within both organizations often results in product modifications directly forged by customer needs and preferences. Prime examples of customer collaboration include the introduction of the Van Hool TD925 double-deck coach and the CX35 model.
The double-deck coach delivered a high-capacity solution to Coach USA for the launch of its Megabus market expansion and is the go-to solution for a number of Silicon Valley employee shuttle programs. There are more than 600 Van Hool double-deck coaches operating in the U.S., the company said.
Similarly, the 35-foot CX35 Van Hool model was introduced to answer operator calls for a smaller version of the popular 45-foot CX45 coach with a reduced passenger capacity that would not sacrifice the “big coach” look, style and feel.
The new CX35 model has been another success, with orders exceeding expectations. Thanks to standardized design and manufacturing and numerous interchangeable parts with the 45-foot version, operators can realize significant parts, as well as driver training, savings when running both models in their fleets.
ABC and Van Hool said they are committed to future-looking innovation and investments that contribute to greater control and efficiencies for their customers and their own business strategies.
For example, plans to expand and strengthen their parts business supply chain will afford faster access to needed components for customers, Roman Cornell said.
“We envision growing our supply chain and distribution network to tightly sync with operator requirements when and where support is needed all over North America,” he said.
Cornell added that technologies emerging every year truly impact operational efficiency.
“ABC and Van Hool are focused on rapid technology adoption, and whenever possible being first to market with tech-driven solutions for our operators,” he said.
Dane Cornell said ABC is proud and grateful to celebrate 30 years of partnership with Van Hool and expects the relationship to last for years.
“We look forward to continuing to serve our customers, our communities and our industry for decades to come,” he said.
