Coach America
| Company type | Holding company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Bus transportation |
| Founded | 2003 |
| Founder | Kohlberg & Co., LLC (initial owner) |
| Defunct | 2012 |
| Fate | Filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy; assets sold to various companies |
| Headquarters | Dallas , United States |
Area served | United States (excluding Midwest, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New England metropolitan areas) |
| Products | Bus transportation services |
| Owner | Fenway Partners (final owner) |
Coach America, alternatively recognized as American Coach Lines, functioned as a holding entity for various American bus transportation services and was under the ownership of Fenway Partners, a private equity firm headquartered in New York. Its operations were conducted under the brands Coach America, American Coach Lines, and Gray Line, occasionally maintaining local brand identities that existed prior to acquisition. The company incorporated former operations of Coach USA excluding regions such as the Midwest, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New England, in addition to Ohio's Lakefront Lines, which was acquired independently. With its main office located in Dallas, Texas, Coach America provided services nationally except within certain metropolitan areas.
History
The origins of Coach America trace back to segments of the Scotland-based Stagecoach Group’s Coach USA, specifically the Western, South Central, and Southeastern divisions. In 2003, Stagecoach retained mainly its Northeast and North Central scheduled and local transit services while divesting the remaining divisions. The South Central and Western divisions were sold to Kohlberg & Co., LLC, initially continuing under the Coach USA brand before transitioning to Coach America. Meanwhile, the Southeastern division was sold to Lincolnshire Management and rebranded as American Coach Lines.
In 2006, Coach America expanded by acquiring American Coach Lines from Lincolnshire. Later that year, Kohlberg divested Coach America to Fenway Partners. The company further grew in 2008 through the acquisition of Ohio-based Lakefront Lines.
After filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in early 2012, Coach America's assets were divided and sold: Stagecoach reacquired eight former properties along with Lakefront Lines/Hopkins Transportation; Tornado Bus Company took ownership of El Expreso; Professional Transportation purchased the rail crew transport division; Transportation Management Services established Horizon Coach Lines from remaining units; the Los Angeles Department of Transportation contract was awarded to MV Transportation; and three Florida locations were transferred to Academy Bus. The closure of the Dallas headquarters in July 2012 marked the conclusion of Coach America's business activities.
Divisions
Coach America managed several divisions structured around regional markets and service types:
- Mountain: Headquartered in Las Vegas, this division encompassed subsidiaries located in Arkansas, Colorado, North Dakota, Tennessee, Ohio, and Wyoming.
- Northwest: Operating from Sacramento, it served northern California, northern Nevada, and Oregon.
- South Central: Based in Houston, covering transportation services within Texas and Louisiana.
- Southeast: Managed from Orlando, this division included former American Coach Lines companies.
- West: Also based in Las Vegas, overseeing subsidiaries throughout Arizona, southern Nevada, and southern California.
- Crew Transport: Focused on industrial sector transportation across fifteen states.