A special school bus was delivered to Montgomery County Public Schools outside Lane Stadium at Virginia Tech on June 5: the 100,000th Saf-T-Liner C2 school bus from Thomas Built Buses.

Caley Edgerly, president and CEO of Thomas Built Buses, presented the bus keys to Mark Miear, Montgomery County Schools superintendent, after a celebration luncheon in the President’s Suite at Lane Stadium, attended by President Tim Sands.

Montgomery County Schools bought the bus through Sonny Merryman Inc., Thomas Built Buses’ exclusive Virginia dealer.

“Handing the keys over for Thomas Built’s 100,000th C2 is just as much of a milestone for Sonny Merryman as it is for Thomas Built Buses,” said Floyd Merryman, president and CEO of Sonny Merryman and a Virginia Tech alumnus.

“Since we launched our business over 50 years ago, our goal has always been to provide our customers with the very best product and service in the industry,” said Merryman, who earned a business degree in 1981. “The production of Thomas Built’s 100,000th C2 speaks to the quality, durability, and popularity of Thomas Built’s products.”

The event also included presentations of scholarships at Virginia Tech to two local students whose parents or grandparents worked in Virginia’s pupil transportation community, including as bus drivers and technicians.

The scholarships were established by Merryman’s father, Floyd W. “Sonny” Merryman Jr., in 2007. Six $2,500 scholarships will be awarded for the 2018-19 academic year.

Attendees at the event included school administrators and board members, school bus drivers, and representatives from Thomas Built Buses and Sonny Merryman. 

President Sands presents a scholarship
Virginia Tech President Tim Sands presents Matthew Roop with a scholarship established by Floyd W. "Sonny" Merryman Jr., who attended Virginia Tech. Also pictured is John Wheeler, superintendent of Floyd County Public Schools.
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