December 2015 - Lamers Bus Lines

Christmas 2015 Reflections
This time of year we take the time to analyze how the past year has unfolded. We have been fortunate to
see another year of growth here at Lamers Bus Lines, with the addition of our three new locations in
Cazenovia, Gillett and Mosinee.
But we have also experienced loss as well. On Sunday, Dec. 6, we lost a good friend and advisor to our
company, attorney Bernard Roels. My father, Lyle, and I met with him many times over the last 50 years,
and his wisdom and guidance offered a path to conservatism and compassion for our employees — and a
more successful transportation company. We will continue to follow the values he has taught us and
always do our best for you and your fellow employees here at Lamers Bus Lines.
I would like to thank you for your hard work and extra effort throughout the past year. As we gather with
our families in this special season, please take a few minutes to reflect on your role here, and realize that
through this work, we get to make a difference. Whether that is the safe delivery of students to school each
day, or any type of charter trip where we help people reach their destinations throughout the U.S. and
Canada — we all work together to make sure all of our passengers know they can trust us for their
transportation. Thank you.
Merry Christmas to you and your family,
Welcome to our
New Employees!
DIANE GORMAN
Diane Gorman is our new Mosinee
Manager. Previously she worked for
more than 20 years at Spectra Print
and has been a substitute bus
driver for the past five years in
Mosinee. She is married to her
husband of 27 years, Michael, and
they have three adult children,
Dillon, Devon, and Dalton.
JOE SCHUH
Joe Schuh joined the East De Pere
location in November. Prior to coming to
Lamers Joe worked as an Operations
Manager at US Venture for 20+ years. Joe
lives in Freedom and has been married to
his wife, Darla, for 36 years. He has two
children, Jeremy and Justin. In his spare
time Joe enjoys spending time with his
three grandchildren, coaching high
school football, and trying his swing on
the golf course.
MELISSA LA COUNT
Melissa La Count joined the Accounting
Department in September. She also has
worked at her husband's moto-cross
business as office manager for the past 1 6
years. Melissa lives in Howard with her
husband, Greg, 1 8-year-old son, Cole, and
1 3-year-old daughter, Gabrielle. She
enjoys her weekends at their cabin,
relaxing, working their moto-cross
business, cooking, and crafting.
ANDREW NARLOCK
Andrew Narlock performs vehicle
maintenance in Mosinee. He
previously retired from the military
after more than 23 years of service.
In his free time he enjoys golf, old
automotive restoration, and
travelling. He and his family live in
the Wausau area.
KAREN PHILLIPS
Karen Phillips joined Lamers Bus Lines in
September working in the Accounts
Payable Department. She lives in Green
Bay with her husband, Steve, and their
spoiled 3-year-old German Shepherd,
Sam. She has one grandson, Anthony, a
daughter, Nicole, and son-in-law, Marty
who live south of Madison. Her hobbies
include camping, boating, fishing,
and antiquing.
BRIDGET KIMPEL
JIM GROHALL
Jim joined Lamers in September as
a mechanic in Mosinee, Previously
he worked at Penske, Burnett
Transit and WH Transportation. Jim
and his wife, Gayle, have two
children, Cailin, 1 3, and Griffin, 9.
Jim enjoys camping, fishing and
watching his children play sports.
Bridget Kimpel joined Lamers Bus Lines in
October as our Sparta Assistant Manager.
She has been employed by Lamers since
October 201 3 as a bus driver, part time
office help, and trainer.
Bridget lives in Sparta with her husband
Rich, and 9-year-old son, Justin. Her
hobbies include horseback riding and
spending time with family.
HAPPY RETIREMENT,
FRED BRAUN!
Happy Retirement, Fred!
On Oct. 29, our Wisconsin
Rapids staff threw a
retirement party for manager
Fred Braun. Fred was with
Lamers for 34 years and has
promised to stick around and
drive when needed!
Thank you, Fred, for your
hard work and leadership all
of these years!
If you ever wonder if drivers
truly make a difference...
If you ever wonder if drivers make a difference, keep in mind this story from our
Ripon terminal. Earlier this year school bus driver Leon Schroeder passed away.
Upon hearing the news, Jenna, who rode Leon's bus, created a very sweet card
for Leon's widow, Gail. This was the first year Leon drove with Lamers Bus Lines
and had only been Jenna's school bus driver for a few weeks. But in that short
time, he made a significant impression on this girl's life. Remember, you have a
chance to make that kind of impact on everyone who boards your bus.
Congrats to these great employees!
Thank you for your years of service!
Employee Anniversaries
OCTOBER — DECEMBER
GARY DINY, GREEN BAY — 30
BARBARA CRAW, GREEN BAY — 29
RANDY BADGER, MILWAUKEE — 28
DAVID JETTON JR, GREEN BAY — 27
JAMES YOUNG, GREEN BAY — 27
JAMES MATHES, MUSKEGO — 27
EDWARD FILIPIAK, HOWARD — 26
DIANE SHEPARD, MILWAUKEE — 25
CATHERINE JOSLIN, GREEN BAY — 23
RALPH BABCOCK, MILWAUKEE — 23
MICHAEL WEIHING, MENASHA — 22
KORY NEUZERLING, MILWAUKEE — 20
JAMES GAMBLE, WEST DE PERE — 20
DEBRA MOTIFF, WEST DE PERE — 20
JOHNNIE GRAY, WEST DE PERE — 1 9
ANTHONY CAHAK, GREEN BAY — 1 9
WILLIAM LEMKE, GREEN BAY — 1 8
RAYMOND NOVAK, GREEN BAY — 1 8
ROSE CAMPBELL, HOWARD — 1 7
RICHARD ERNI, GREEN BAY — 1 7
SHAWN SHEAHAN, MILWAUKEE — 1 7
BRENDA REHN, GREEN BAY — 1 6
JASON GRIMM, GREEN BAY — 1 6
RAYMOND GRASSL JR, WI RAPIDS — 1 6
DEBRA LIST, MILWAUKEE — 1 5
ANN MARIE FRONK, GREEN BAY — 1 4
PAUL DECOSTER, HOWARD — 1 4
THERESA HANNEMAN, WI RAPIDS — 1 4
VERNON MATUSHAK, WAUSAU — 1 3
ROBERT HALL, MENASHA — 1 3
STEVE MC COLLUM, MILWAUKEE — 1 3
DANIEL MURPHY, EAST DE PERE — 1 2
EDWIN WEISS, EAST DE PERE — 1 2
LARRY PISCHKE, WI RAPIDS — 1 1
LEONARD PHILLIPS, LA CROSSE — 1 1
LARRY SLAGHT, GREEN BAY — 1 1
ALFRED SCHOENIKE, JUNEAU — 1 1
ROBERT BELANGER, HOWARD — 1 1
This fall, Frank and Jim were busy in the
Simulator Coach making sure drivers were
ready for winter. In East De Pere, they worked
with the entire staff, including drivers Betty,
Paul and Mike.
In addition, Frank took the Simulator Coach
over to our Howard terminal to give the
Superintendent and Assistant
Superintendent of Business Services a chance
to test their driving skills. Frank also had a
chance to show the ropes to his brother, who
had flown in to go hunting with Frank.
Top
5 Driver Tips for Winter
still required to follow the dress code guidelines. When driving
charter trips, it is never acceptable to wear hooded sweatshirts instead
of a jacket. In addition, please be careful when choosing footwear.
Wearing big snow boots might seem like a good choice, but they can
affect your operation of the bus. You can think you’re pressing the
Unplug the bus.
brake, when you’re really pressing both pedals, which could result in
If your bus isn’t inside during the winter months, you will an accident.
need to remember to unplug it before you hit the road.
This seems like common sense, but it seems to happen
Check the oil and the antifreeze.
every winter and costs thousands of dollars in damage to
These are two of the most important and most overlooked
the outlet and the bus. So check and double check during your preitems during the winter. You should be checking these as
trip to ensure you’re not dragging a cord behind you on the road.
part of your pre-trip anyway, but when the temperature
drops, it is more critical than ever to make sure these
Check the luggage bays.
levels are correct.
We have had way too many instances lately of
passengers not having all of their belongings from
Slow down.
below the bus. Recently in Florida, a driver didn’t
It isn’t a race. Please remember that wherever you go,
check to make sure all of the luggage was out of the bus
you’re very visible in your Lamers bus. Passers-by on
bays and we ended up having to Fed-Ex the left behind luggage to a
the road call, email, and message us on social media.
passenger while they were on their cruise. In addition, after the group
We know that a driver in Milwaukee ran a red light last
exits the bus, please do a quick walk-though with the group leader to week. And a route driver in De Pere regularly speeds down the same
ensure there is nothing left behind in the seats or overhead racks. It residential street. We get instant feedback from your passengers while
makes it so much easier to catch forgotten items at that time, rather you’re driving through Twitter and we're sent links to see dash-cam
than having them sit in our lost and found.
footage on YouTube. People on the road aren’t afraid to let us know
when they think you’re not driving as safely as you should be.
By Ed Shoning, Safety Director
Though we have been enjoying warmer-than-normal
temperatures, the snow and cold are just around the corner. As we
approach this time of the year, please remember these important
reminders.
1
4
2
3
5
Dress for the weather, but stay professional.
Our drivers are the public face of the company. You
Thank you in advance for your attention to these matters. By
interact with the groups and need to maintain an image of taking a little extra time and being more careful, we can retain our
professionalism at all times. In inclement weather, you are great reputation of being The Passenger Professionals®.