independent coach
Independent Coach Corporation was established and incorporated in 1941 by Mr.
Francis Levett. Mr. Levett started the company with one bus, which he drove and
maintained. Gradually, Mr. Levett expanded the company and the number of buses.
However, it was only after World War II and the expansion of suburbia that the
company began to see extensive growth. Independent Coach's first client was the
Lawrence Public Schools which we are proud to note is still our largest client
after more than 60 years. The company presently serves approximately 18 school
districts in the Town of Hempstead, Nassau County and the Long Island Railroad.
Independent Coach and Mr. Levett were at the forefront of many safety concerns
that affected its passengers. Independent Coach was one of the first school bus
companies to have dual stop signs on their buses as opposed to just one. In
addition, Independent Coach was one of the first companies to have the new and
innovative crossover mirrors, cross over lights on the hoods of buses and the
roofs of the buses painted in silver or white paint to reflect sunlight and
heat. State law now mandates many of these features. Mr. Nicholas Fabrizio has
been an employee of Independent Coach since 1955. He started his employment with
the company as a bus driver and mechanic. As a result of his hard work and
dedication to the company, Mr. Fabrizio started working alongside Mr. Levett
where he learned the school bus industry from the "bottom up." Mr. Fabrizio
eventually became the General Manager of all Independent Coach operations. In
May of 1999, Mr. Fabrizio and his family purchased Independent Coach from the
Estate of Francis Levett and became the company's president. Mr. Fabrizio's
extensive experience in the industry along with his working relationship with
Mr. Levett has resulted in the company's long lasting commitment to the safest
transportation possible utilizing the most efficient and innovative methods in
the industry. Independent Coach currently has two bus yards in the southwest
section of Nassau County. The Inwood location is the original bus yard of the
company while the Hewlett bus yard was purchased later in the 1970's.
Independent Coach presently has approximately 300 vehicles in its fleet and
approximately 380 employees.
