ONWARD AND UPWARD
Earlier this year , Rolling V opened sister company VP Buses and completed a major acquisition of another regional transportation company , SuperTrans , through a partnership with Sterling National Bank . VP Buses services Whitestone as a private yellow school bus service for students in the area . Through the SuperTrans acquisition , VP Buses will also serve Horace Mann School and Riverdale County School in the Bronx . " There is not an opportunity we pursued that Sterling National Bank could not help us achieve ," says Rolling V President Phil Vallone . " Sterling National Bank has always grown and changed for the better , just like our family and our company . They ' ve helped Rolling V meet every one of our challenges ."
Based in the Catskills , Rolling V is a multi-channel transportation company that provides full-service school bus , and charter bus services for the area , as well as New York City . With outstanding customer service , community involvement , and numerous accolades , Rolling V is trusted for its commitment to safety and dependability . While the company ’ s major service is offering school bus transportation for students , Rolling V has ventured into other services , including motor coach charters , handicapped adult transportation and park-and-ride services .
Before the creation of Rolling V , Vallone and DeSabato ’ s father , Eddie Vallone , began working in transportation in the 1940s , continuing his career until the 1970s when he sold his business , Pioneer Transportation . Vallone himself began working at 17 at a family-owned deli , starting his career in the bus business in 1979 with DeSabato and their brother , Eddie , with just 10 school buses . Since then , Vallone and DeSabato have been successful business partners , managing a team of more than 600 employees while still priding themselves in creating an organization with family values in mind . The company also acquired two other regional transportation companies , Gershowitz Transportation in 2006 and SuperTrans in 2015 , doubling the Rolling V company size and increasing the business exponentially .
Rolling V is a member of the New York School Bus Contractors Association and the American School Bus Council , and is now often recognized in the area for its outstanding safety records , including being ranked in the top 10 % of carriers in New York by the New York State Department of Transportation . The company has also sponsored an interactive teen driver safety course called “ Alive at 25 ,” which began in 2007 as a way to honor two Livingston Manor teens killed in a car accident . The program continues to promote safe driving for teens and makes a difference in the community and within six school districts .
“ Many people don ’ t realize that putting their child on the school bus is the absolute safest way of transportation to and from school ,” says Vallone . “ The timeless yellow school bus is far and away the safest way for your kids to travel , and we back up our services with the highest level of safety and exemplary customer service .”
Keeping Doors Open for Maximum Growth When your company involves hundreds of people , finding a way to keep team members connected and motivated can be a challenge . For Rolling V , many of these employees are on the front lines of the business , interacting with clients directly while being responsible for the safety and transportation of adults and children . To help employees feel like family , Vallone insists on an open-door policy to hear any questions , concerns , and constructive criticism . Every member of the team is known on a first-name basis , and they are encouraged to speak up with any issues . If policies and procedures demand modification , the team meets and talks about it . Before any changes are made , a management consensus must be reached . Vallone and DeSabato also encourage employees to grow within the company structure . Opportunities are provided for employees who work hard and create the best services for clients , and these employees are supported as part of the Rolling V family . Many of the company ’ s managers — whom Vallone applauds as hardworking and dedicated — began their careers with the company as school bus monitors and drivers .
12 | SNB . COM // CONNECT CULTURE WINTER 2017