About Sonny Merryman Inc.
About
Us
Strategically located on US 29 just south
of Lynchburg, Virginia, Sonny Merryman, Inc.,delivers all types of buses throughout the
state on a continuing basis. Customers also regularly stop in for parts,
maintenance, or just to see the latest innovations in transportation.
Our Mission Statement
We are committed to provide our
valued Customers with premier transportation products and support; and treat our
Customers, Employees and Communities with complete honesty and respect and to grow our
company in a financially sound environment while maintaining high standards of integrity.
Corporate Overview
Sonny Merryman, Inc. was founded in 1967 by
F.W. "Sonny" Merryman, Jr. and his wife Lou, the company has grown from a small
used trailer and school bus body dealer to one of Virginia's largest transportation
equipment distributors. Originally located in Rustburg, the company relocated in
1993 to its current site on U.S. Route 29 South in Campbell County near Lynchburg in south
central Virginia.
From 1967 until 2001 Sonny Merryman, Inc.
was a family owned and operated business. In 2001, Sonny Merryman, Inc. became an
"Employed Owned Company" (ESOP). However, the Merryman family remains
active in the day to day operations of the company.
The company has two primary divisions -
Buses and Trailers. On the "bus side" the company is the statewide dealer
for Thomas Built Buses of High Point, North Carolina. Thomas is recognized worldwide
as a leading manufacturer of school and transit buses. Thomas is a subsidiary of the
Freightliner Corporation which is a division of DaimlerChrysler. Sonny Merryman,
Inc. is also the exclusive dealer for the Freightliner FS-65 conventional school bus
chassis. Sonny Merryman, Inc. is by far Virginia's leading school bus distributor
with over 60% market share for the past decade. Sonny Merryman has been recognized
three times as "Thomas Dealer of the Year".
We also represent the Startrans Bus
Division of the Supreme Corporation headquartered in Goshen, Indiana. These custom
units are popular with small and urban public transit operations as well as churches,
colleges, retirement communities, hospitals, airports, hotels and resort properties.
Many of these buses are equipped with wheelchair lifts (paratransit units) to
assist the physically disadvantaged with transportation services. The company also
represents DaimlerChrysler Commercial Buses of North America with its CL100 shuttle buses
and the SLF200 series low floor city transit buses.
In 2001 the Sonny Merryman acquired its
newest transportation product - the Freightliner Sprinter Vans. Designed and powered
by Mercedes Benz, the Sprinter is the ideal vocational service vehicle (plumbing,
electrical, HVAC, communications, couriers, florists, etc.), cargo vans, and passenger
vans (hotels, resorts, churches, etc.).
Sonny Merryman is one of the Mid-Atlantic's
largest used bus dealers. Our customers include private schools, churches and
exporters. We have shipped units to many foreign countries including - South America,
Africa and the Middle-East.
On the company's "trailer side",
Sonny Merryman is a distributor for Fontaine (flat beds), Winston (low boys) and Sun (log
trailers). The trailer customer base consists largely of local independent truckers,
loggers and small truck fleets. In addition to new trailers, we maintain a large
inventory of used trailers and storage containers. Storage customers include large
mass merchandisers, contractors, businesses and individuals with a need for temporary
on-site storage.
"We are an employee owned and operated
business built on experience and personal service. We welcome the opportunity to
assist you with your transportation needs".
-Sonny Merryman
.
Never Forget.