Factory Direct Bus Sales, Inc. has set itself apart from other businesses through personalized service and a philosophy that involves letting the customers know the company is there to help them and not just to sell to them.
Factory Direct Bus Sales (FDBS) was founded in 1998 by Rick Reichenbach, who now serves as the president of the business. After graduating from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in 1977, Reichenbach opened up his own restaurant when he was only 21 years old.
During that same time, he also began working as a salesperson for a company called Navistar. He said that he was frequently their top salesperson when it came to school buses and stayed with them until 1991.
It was in that year that Reichenbach left so that he could go into the restaurant business, which he is still involved in, full-time. Several years later, in 1997, Reichenbach was offered a national salesperson position with a new bus manufacturer that was based out of Rockland County in New York.
“After three months I realized that working for somebody else wasn’t for me,” Reichenbach said. “When I told them that I wanted to leave their employment, they said ‘Why don’t you start your own bus dealership and sell our products?’ ”
Reichenbach said that the very next day he started working in a one-bedroom apartment above his restaurant to get Factory Direct Bus Sales up and running. It was officially founded in 1998 “to meet the needs of local school bus contractors.” Four years after establishing the business, he opened up a location in Elmsford in Westchester County, which is where his sales manager and parts and services department are based.
In March of last year, Reichenbach opened a second Factory Direct Bus Sales location in Port Washington on Long Island.
When the company was first started, Reichenbach said that the biggest challenge he faced was selling a product that was unproven. Since it was new, he said that it was difficult to get it accepted into the marketplace.
“I had to guarantee the product with my own reputation,” he said.
Factory Direct Bus Sales has now “grown from a family of two to a staff of 30,” said Reichenbach, who grew up in Flushing and now lives in Manhasset.
“I owe a lot to my staff at Factory Direct Bus Sales. Almost all have volunteered to restructure their salary and work reduced hours during slow periods,” Reichenbach said. “I especially appreciate Ivan Soto, who started with me as a mechanic and has risen to the leading salesperson in the company. Ivan has a positive ‘get it done’ attitude and it is contagious through the company.”
Reichenbach describes the business as being run like a small car dealership. It sells new and used buses, including school buses and shuttle buses.
“FDBS has associated itself with two of the biggest manufacturers of small buses in the country. We sell Collins school buses, which are the biggest selling and most respected brand in North America,” Reichenbach said. “On the commercial and shuttle bus side of the business, we have been selling a value priced bus from Starcraft but we have recently become a dealer for Champion Bus, which is more upscale. Both Collins and Starcraft have been very supportive during the economic downturn and I appreciate their confidence in me and my staff.”
There is also a service department where warranties and maintenance for buses and trucks are handled and there is a parts department for all bus makes and models. In addition, Reichenbach has a finance company called Flushing Financial Automotive Services, which was formed in 2001.
Along with his business commitments, Reichenbach is a father of two.
“I am lucky to have been blessed with two healthy and giving children, Robert, 18, and Maggie, 16,” he said. “Robert is going to attend Sacred Heart University’s John Welch Business School. He intends to work in the bus business. Maggie is selecting a college where she can also continue with her passion of lacrosse.”
Noting that “giving back to the community is a major factor in all my businesses,” Reichenbach is very active. He is on the Board of Trustees at Flushing Hospital Medical Center and is a member of the Knights of Columbus, Queens Chamber of Commerce and Lions Club, among other organizations that he supports.
When it comes to the company’s clientele, Reichenbach said that his strength is handling clients from Long Island to Albany. However, he does have two national accounts to which buses are sold.
Typically, when school buses are sold it is a fleet of between 20 to 100. However, commercial and shuttle buses are usually sold one at a time.
Reichenbach said that his business philosophy is, “People don’t care how much you know; they want to know how much you care.” He said that this philosophy has been one way that Factory Direct Bus Sales has been able to set itself apart from other businesses. Also, it does so by providing personalized service to all of its customers.
These ideas, Reichenbach said, have also been the keys to the success of the business over the years. He said that people know Factory Direct Bus Sales cares about them and that it is there to help and not just make a sale, which has been behind the company’s success.
Also, it “has been successful by keeping overhead to a minimum and passing along the savings to its customers.”
Reichenbach attributes a great deal of his personal success to his father, wife and education.
“Much of my success is due to my father, Bob Reichenbach, not giving me a silver spoon but paving the way with golden opportunities,” he said. “I graduated from Holy Cross High School in Queens, where work ethic and morality were instilled. I also owe a lot to my wife Linda, who gives me much moral support and is willing to jump in wherever help is needed.”
During his career so far, Reichenbach said that there have been two major highlights. The first one was driving down the road and seeing the Factory Direct Bus Sales emblem on buses and, in some cases, knowing that he has helped another person start his own business.
The second highlight was creating the “Heart of the Industry” award for the New York State Contractors Association about 10 years ago, Reichenbach, who at one time worked as a wire lather and was formerly in construction, said that the purpose of the award is to recognize a good employee who also goes above and beyond for their company and community. He also said that the award has since been adopted by the national organization.
Among the awards that Reichenbach has received are Man of the Year from Navistar International Trucks, an Award for Excellence from the American Cancer Society, a Good Scout Award from Boy Scouts of America and the Rainbow Award & Man of the Year Award from Flushing Hospital.
In today’s world, Reichenbach said that the biggest challenge his business faces is with financing.
In looking to the future of Factory Direct Bus Sales, Reichenbach said that his main goal is “to be the largest dealer of small buses…in the New York City area.”
For more information on Factory Director Bus Sales, visit www.factorydirectbussales.com. The company can also contact them at 888-275-7425 or 732-251-2601.
