Who is Bloom ?
Bloom is a third-generation family owned and operated school bus and motorcoach company servicing Southeastern Massachusetts . The Bloom family opened its doors in 1946 and is celebrating their 75th anniversary this year . Their founding philosophy is to provide safe and reliable transportation at a reasonable cost . They pride themselves on their late model equipment , in house vehicle maintenance and training that they provide to their drivers .
Erin Ducharme began her career at Bloom by chance . Erin recalls “ when I first started at Bloom , I did not know anything about the bus business . I graduated college with a business degree and then went to work in finance . Leaving the corporate world to join a familyowned transportation company was outside of my comfort zone ”.
She started in the industry in 2007 at the age of 25 as an assistant controller for the two companies , H & L Bloom , ( school bus division ) & Bloom ’ s Bus Lines ( motorcoach division ). Over the past 13 years , she has gained experience in all aspects of the business . Her leadership roles have expanded to director of finance and accounting as well as running customer service , marketing , and the tour division .
Erin helped create Bloom Tours 12 years ago and has grown this business to over 200 tours annually . She actively manages Bloom ’ s website , social media channels , pricing strategy , training the Bloom tour guides and drivers , as well her financial and accounting responsibilities . Through these positions , she interacts daily with all the departments within the organization from maintenance to operations to customer service . Erin says “ Bloom has a fleet of over 200 school buses , 100 vans and 28 motorcoaches . I believe the only true way to
learn the diverse business is take a hands-on approach on a department level . This approach gives me a feel for the costs of each part of the business , and where we need to invest in to motivate our team and grow business profitably , while also getting to know the employees .”
Her various roles within the organization keep her a part of the day-to-day operations . “ What I appreciate most about my job is that I never have a boring day . We have a great team , and we are always thinking of ways to become a better organization .” The owners of the company are very engaged in the business and supportive . This mentality is why Bloom has been prominent fixture in Massachusetts for 75 years .
During her tenure at Bloom , she obtained her MBA , going to school at night and working full time . She has also become involved in American Bus Association as a member of the education committee and on the leadership team for Women in Buses . Erin says , “ I love being able to use the knowledge I gain from people and experiences to become a better leader and help others in the transportation business .”
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