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2 Comprehensive Cases
Comprehensive Case
PETER PAN BUS LINES: A TICKET FOR TRAVEL AND
ADVENTURE
I
f you have ever lived in or near a city and you needed to
travel somewhere during rush hour, you’ve no doubt had
the frustration of sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Min-
utes tick by as you sit staring at the taillights in front of you
that never seem to change from bright red. You have impor-
tant places to be but are stuck in the middle of what seems
to be an endless stream of traffic. If only you could read or
relax during your trip, your valuable time could be used for
more worthwhile tasks. You’re not alone—millions of people
have faced the same problem. Some have opted for less
hassle in the form of mass transit. From subways to trains to
bus lines, many commuters are leaving the driving to some-
one else and recapturing some of their precious time—and
sanity. The American Public Transportation Association
reports that people in the U.S. took 9.7 billion individual
trips on mass transit in a recent year.
Or maybe you want some excitement and decide that a
trip or tour would be terrific for you and your friends. You
decide that a road tour or charter fits both your budget and
schedule. New York City, Washington, DC, or Philadelphia
are all great places for fun and adventure. Why not consider
booking a bus charter?
Rolling to the rescue is Peter Pan Bus Lines, the largest
privately owned bus company in the United States. The
Springfield, Massachusetts–based firm has been providing
safe, convenient, clean, and comfortable travel services since
its founder, Peter C. Picknelly, bought two Buick seven-
passenger limousines for $4,500 in 1933. With its first routes
from Northampton, Holyoke, and Springfield in Massachu-
setts to Stafford Springs, Connecticut, the company began a
legacy of service to its passengers that continues to this day.
Peter Pan now transports 4 million passengers and has gross
sales of more than $100 million a year. But how did such a
small company grow so dramatically? The story is one of
hard work, vision, optimism for the future, a little luck, and
above all, a family commitment. Some would say it is a fairy
tale come true.
THIS BUSINESS IS A FAMILY AFFAIR
After Peter C. Picknelly bought the limousine service “Yellow
Cab Air Line,” he concentrated on expanding his routes and
the business. Soon he was offering daily service to more
than 100 cities throughout the busy Northeast transporta-
tion corridor in 150 motor coaches. Along with the growth
came a new name: Peter Pan Bus Lines. Picknelly chose the
name because Peter Pan was his favorite children’s story that
he read to his young son and daughter, and the name
seemed to capture perfectly the spirit of adventure and
excitement that is possible through travel. The company has
carried that name proudly ever since, emblazoned on the
sides of its motor coaches.
Upon Peter C.’s death in 1964, his son, Peter L. Picknelly,
assumed the driver’s seat for the firm at the age of 33.
Although that may seem fairly young for a person to head a
large business, Peter L. already had 14 years of experience
working for the company. His knowledge of the day-to-day
workings of the firm served him well as he looked to build
on his father’s legacy. To attract new customers, he offered
one-day trips during the year of the 1964–1965 World’s Fair
and upgraded his fleet. That high-profile service soon drew
40,000 passengers. He also expanded the firm into Peter Pan
World Travel, offering charters and group tours, as well as
real estate holdings of the Monarch Place office complex
and Falcon Hotel Corp., owner of several upscale hotels in
Massachusetts. That part of the business now generates
$70 million in revenue. The company also operates four
major maintenance facilities through its Coach Builders busi-
ness, which provides coach refurbishing and body shop work
to its own fleet and others. Now under the umbrella of the
Peter Pan Group, the company holds nearly $200 million in
gross business assets.
But despite divergence into other lines of business, no firm
can succeed without a guiding vision, and Peter Pan is no
exception. Its survival depends on the quality of the service it
provides. The company’s Web site defines its mission this way:
web cases 1/26/05 4:56 PM Page 3
Peter Pan Bus Lines is committed to providing the best
transportation service in America. We will accomplish our
mission by adhering to the five cornerstones upon which
Peter Pan was founded:
• Safety
• Quality
• Dependability
• Satisfaction
• Fairness
Those cornerstones provide a foundation for the company’s
values and beliefs and help focus all employees on their pri-
mary goal—building lasting customer relationships through
service. In fact, the company is out to prove to its riders that
they are “one of the family,” too.
After Peter L.’s retirement in 1992, control of Peter Pan
Bus Lines passed to a third generation of the Picknelly fam-
ily, with Peter A. as president and siblings Melissa and
Thomas heading the tour and maintenance divisions. All
three continue to steer Peter Pan through some tough busi-
ness obstacles and distinguish the bus line from its competi-
tors. Peter Pan is essentially a service business—its core busi-
ness is providing transportation, on-time deliveries, and
courteous service from ticket agents to drivers and tour
operators, which the company calls “People Professionals.”
But Peter Pan also offers goods in the form of attractive ter-
minals and clean, modern buses—the company continually
buys the newest and best motor coaches available and sells
off its old ones. All staff members work hard to convey the
image of a premium transportation company. Its Web site
boasts, “Peter Pan has established itself as an industry pace-
setter in engineering, esthetics, and most of all, passenger
satisfaction and safety. . . . When you choose Peter Pan, you
can feel confident that you have chosen the best personnel,
service, and equipment available.”
SATISFYING ITS CUSTOMER BASE
Peter Pan is a regional carrier, focusing its main efforts on
service in the northeastern United States. Its major ridership
draws from several groups: commuters, college students, the
elderly, and fun seekers of every age. The line offers regular
service to many cities in the Northeast, but the most popular
routes include those in its Daily Express Service to Washing-
ton, DC; Silver Spring and Baltimore, Maryland; Wilmington,
Delaware; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; New York City and
Albany, New York; Hartford, Connecticut; and Amherst,
Boston, Framingham, Northampton, Springfield, and Worces-
ter, Massachusetts. Aside from its own routes, the company
Contemporary Business 2006 3
links to other major mass transit hubs, such as the Massachu-
setts Turnpike Authority, New York’s Metropolitan Trans-
portation Authority, and several college campuses in the
region, such as The University of Massachusetts and Amherst.
The firm also is a member of Trailways national network of
motor coach companies and has an affiliation with Grey-
hound Lines for service to a broader market. For those who
travel for pleasure, the firm offers tour and charter services
for sightseers and those who want to try their luck at a
casino, links to major cruise lines such as those located at the
New York Port Authority, links to major air carriers, and one-
day and extended travel trips including hotel accommoda-
tions and meals. The firm’s charter group service can also
transport travelers anywhere in the United States, Canada,
or Mexico.
Despite its upscale image, the company hasn’t neglected
its budget-conscious customers. Peter Pan offers major dis-
counts ranging from 10 percent to seniors 62 and older
holding a Senior Saver Card, 15 percent to college students
owning a Student Advantage Card, and 40 percent for up
to two children under the age of 11 traveling with an adult.
As mentioned before, even with an eye toward efficiency
and economy, Peter Pan owns one of the most modern
fleets in the industry, and it constantly buys new wide-body
buses and refurbishes its existing buses so that they are
welcoming and comfortable. All contain wide aisles, large
viewing windows, and comfy seats, with overhead luggage
storage bins.
Groups who book a charter can travel in the one of the
firm’s VIP Coaches—luxury coaches complete with kitchen-
ettes, roomy lavatories, audio and video equipment, satellite
and computer links for PCs and cell phones, and plush sofa
and swivel-chair seating for groups of up to 25. For sight-
seers in the Springfield area, the company also operates
authentic red double-decker British tour buses that can han-
dle 72 passengers. For those seeking an out-of-the ordinary
mode of travel, the company refurbished a Futurliner bus
first exhibited at the 1939 New York World’s Fair. The bus’s
sleek horizontal chrome panels and rounded Art Deco con-
tours are perfect for those seeking a retro travel experience.
BUSINESS AND COMPETITIVE
ENVIRONMENT IN THE
TRAVEL INDUSTRY
Like its cousins, the airline, trucking, and railroad industries,
the bus industry also underwent deregulation with passage
of the Bus Regulatory Reform Act of 1982. Although the act
did not completely deregulate the industry, it did loosen
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4 Comprehensive Cases
federal and state governments’ grip on carriers, allowing
more businesses to enter profitable markets, to drop unprof-
itable routes, and to set flexible prices. Deregulation opened
the market, giving customers more choice and bus lines
more freedom to adjust their operations—while still watch-
ing the bottom line. Although carriers may not operate
globally, changes in the pricing or availability of raw materi-
als and the nation’s economy can still ripple down to busi-
nesses at the local level. For example, the nation’s general
prosperity and economic cycles affect the income passengers
have to spend on travel, so they evaluate their options,
weighing the benefit they receive against the money they
must expend. Also, major fluctuations in fuel prices can sig-
nificantly cut into transportation companies’ profit margins,
but bus lines cannot always recoup those costs through fare
increases. Fierce competition from rivals forces firms to hold
the line on prices.
As with other travel industries, Peter Pan has encountered
competition in its highly profitable Boston-to-New York
route by other bus lines operating between Boston’s and
New York’s City’s Chinatown areas. Peter Pan maintains that
those limited bus lines have an unfair advantage, providing
regularly scheduled intercity service in violation of federal
requirements because they only have a charter service regis-
tration. Bus companies that operate across state lines must
register with federal regulators, have documented safety
controls, and carry a minimum of $5 million in liability insur-
ance. Also, Peter Pan must pay significant fees to board pas-
sengers at Boston’s South Station and New York’s Port
Authority, which competitors are currently skirting by load-
ing passengers in designated tour bus areas. Some bus lines
have received hefty traffic fines as a result of this practice.
Robert Schwarz, Peter Pan’s executive vice president com-
ments, “We don’t have a problem with competition, as long
as we’re on an even playing field.” In response to the pres-
sure from the so-called discount carriers, Peter Pan has
dropped its prices from $35 to $15 for a one-way ticket on
that route.
HARD-DRIVING MANAGEMENT STYLE
SHAPES AND EXPANDS THE COMPANY
Any family-owned business naturally takes on some charac-
teristics of it founders, and Peter Pan was first molded by
Peter C. Picknelly, who immigrated to the United States from
Italy at the age of seven in 1899. Peter C., as he is now
called, learned at an early age the value of hard work. His
father was employed by the Department of Public Works in
New Jersey and taught Peter C. about the growing impor-
tance of roads and the amazing new motor vehicles to his
adopted country. When his father died in 1907, Peter C.,
though still a teenager, assumed the responsibility for his
family and used his energy and talents to better their situa-
tion in life. At one point, he received a $4,500 gift from his
employer that would change the course of his and his fam-
ily’s life forever—he used that money to purchase the origi-
nal limousine company that eventually became Peter Pan. It
is said that Peter C.’s planning and negotiating skills with
business, political, and civic leaders truly forged the com-
pany’s success in its first 30 years.
After Peter C.’s death in 1964, the company’s manage-
ment passed to Peter L. Picknelly. The son was up to the
challenge, having seemed to inherit his father’s ambition
and will to succeed. He was the driving force that shaped
Peter Pan Bus Lines for its next 30 years—first as its president
and then as chairman of the board. Business was in his
blood, and stepping back later in his life proved difficult. In
fact, after his supposed retirement as chairman in 1992, the
entrepreneur came back from Florida in a few months. He
returned to oversee both bus line and real estate holdings
that were now run by his sons and daughter. He played a
pivotal role in crafting an estimated $150 million alliance
with Greyhound Lines, the nation’s largest bus company, to
share ticket sales throughout much of the Northeast. Under
his direction, the company also instituted the double-decker
bus tours through Springfield, as well as tour boat rides on
the Connecticut River. Perhaps his biggest achievement,
though, was the company’s diversification into real estate
with the $24 million purchase of the 26-story Monarch Place
office tower and Sheraton Hotel complex—prime urban
properties. He didn’t rest after the purchase, however, con-
centrating on building the facility into a premier regional
attraction. The family’s other real estate holdings expanded
to include a historic office complex called Harrison Place, a
parking lot and garage complex, a bus terminal and historic
trolley barn, and a stretch of riverfront land.
One of the keys to Peter L.’s drive stemmed from his
often-stated love of his hometown; the company still main-
tains its headquarters in Springfield, despite some advice to
move it elsewhere. And the family has continued his tradi-
tion of expansion. In 2003, Peter Pan bought five U.S. tour
and charter bus companies from Scottish firm Stagecoach.
Current President Peter A. Picknelly commented, “This acqui-
sition allows Peter Pan to enlarge our footprint in New Eng-
land and virtually doubles the size of our company by
adding complementary elements to our core business.” The
firm is also building two new upscale hotels in western Mass-
achusetts: the Park Plaza Hotel and the Hilton Garden Inn in
Worcester. So the family continues to follow in Peter L.’s
web cases 1/26/05 4:57 PM Page 5
Picknelly’s footsteps; he was once quoted as saying, “What I
do when I get up in the morning, if I don’t drive a bus for
the day, I do something in real estate.”
At the turn of the 21st century, Peter L. mentioned his
dream of making Peter Pan America’s largest bus line, and
he almost made it—the company is the largest privately
owned bus company. He was known as a tough businessman
with a soft personal touch. He believed in the value of hard
work, often working late into the night and attending many
business and charitable community events. His company and
employees seemed to thrive under his hands-on manage-
ment style. He noted in one interview that the bus line
made its first $1 million in annual sales in 1963 but by 1998,
the company sometimes made $1 million during a big week-
end. By any measure, that is a significant achievement.
As with many entrepreneurs who accept risk in order to
build their dreams, Picknelly did so, too. In fact, the license
plate on one of his four Rolls Royces read “GAMBLE.” With
Peter L.’s death in 2004, the entrepreneurial torch was
passed to his children, who continue to operate the busi-
nesses today. The family tradition continues under their
management. The company’s Web site describes it this way:
“The company holds fast to the ideals upon which it was
founded because a Picknelly still mans the helm.”
MARKETING PETER PAN: CAPITALIZING
ON THE VALUE OF A BRAND
The current generation of Picknellys continues to promote
its company name and image to current and prospective cus-
tomers. Capitalizing on the excitement and adventurous
character of its storybook namesake, Peter Pan Bus Lines has
established a recognizable brand that stands out from its
competitors. The company is known for its on-time service,
modern bus fleet, and convenient terminal locations. But
relying on past success doesn’t mean that the company
stands still in the face of needed change. For a decade or so,
the company placed characters from the Peter Pan story on
the sides of its buses to provide a friendly face to all its rid-
ers. But after a recent major purchase of 50 modern coaches
and based on a suggestion from its Boston operation, which
wanted to appeal to its convention, cruise ship, and corpo-
rate clients, the company commissioned a new graphic
design for its brand and used it as a decal on its bus exteri-
ors. Director of Marketing Michele Goldberg says of the
logo, “Management liked the new design so well, it was
decided to rewrap our entire fleet.”
In addition to its new corporate image, the bus line has
benefited from its alliances with major national and regional
sports teams. Peter Pan is the official carrier of the New
Contemporary Business 2006 5
England Patriots football team and the University of Con-
necticut men’s and women’s basketball teams. The carrier
received free, favorable publicity in the media after the
Patriots won Super Bowl XXXVIII and both basketball teams
won national college championships. “Our new graphic
design received a lot of exposure this year when we trans-
ported the teams during their playoffs. . . . Maybe it was a
little bit of good luck on our part,” said Goldberg. In addi-
tion to unpaid publicity, the company launched a new
newspaper ad campaign, featuring Peter Pan’s new buses
and a lower $20 one-way fare between Washington, DC,
and New York.
The company also offers branded travel merchandise for
sale on its Web site. Customers can choose from a variety of
accessories such as an unbreakable stainless travel mug,
backpacks and duffel bags, and insulated lunch bags and
thermoses. Those with a bit more spare change might opt
for a travel clock, gold medallion watch, sweatshirt, jacket,
or denim shirt. All products sport the company’s signature
logo. Personalized gift certificates can also be purchased at
the site to spread a little Peter Pan cheer.
USING TECHNOLOGY FOR CUSTOMER
SERVICE AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
Some may consider a bus line to be a low-tech business—
after all, it seems to operate the same way from decade to
decade. How much can bus travel change? In reality, the
operations behind the scenes must be cutting-edge to pro-
vide flawless, invisible, superior service to riders. Customers
can see the company’s high-tech touch during their trips in
the form of cellular and walkie-talkie two-way communica-
tions that keep its drivers connected to dispatchers 24/7. The
company is also testing global positioning system (GPS) satel-
lite software on 16 new coaches. The constant flow of com-
munication and information keeps both individual drivers
and branch offices up to speed on current conditions and
improves the company’s on-time performance so critical to
passengers.
Recently, Peter Pan upgraded its company Web site by
hiring a local consulting firm called Rubberneck to com-
pletely redo its site, by revamping its shopping cart capabil-
ity, developing its database, providing routine maintenance,
and hosting its site. Peter Pan wanted to improve its effi-
ciency and customer service and streamline its online ticket-
ing service. Rubberneck started with the site’s shopping cart
capability, reversing it within one month to streamline
online ticket and merchandise purchases. Peter Pan can
now add and remove items on its site instantly in response
to changing market conditions. In addition to traditional
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6 Comprehensive Cases
paper tickets sent through the mail, Peter Pan now offers
an e-ticket service to customers who prefer to pay online.
The e-tickets are nonrefundable but can be used on any
schedule the company offers. Rubberneck is also working
with the bus line to develop Web marketing features such
as customer tracking and mass e-mail systems to gather
basic customer browsing habits and respond to customer
questions and feedback. In fact, the company Web site offers
a convenient “For Pete’s Sake” feedback form that cus-
tomers can fill out. Or customers can e-mail the company
a message at customerservice@peterpanbus.com, if they
prefer. Getting to know its customers and their preferences
helps keep passengers happy—and develop long-term cus-
tomer relationships.
An important feature of the Web site is the information it
provides on terminal locations, routes, and fares. At the click
of a mouse, customers can find the nearest terminal among
the company’s roughly 50 locations. They can also search the
company’s schedules, view maps, and learn about fares and
discounts and reservations policies. Customers can obtain vital
travel information at their convenience.
Behind the scenes, Peter Pan uses information systems in its
critical business functions of charter, tour, and line runs; vehi-
cle maintenance; accounts payable; and general ledger. The
company adopted its new information system when it was
faced with integrating into its existing operations the opera-
tions of five new bus lines—Arrow Lines, Bonanza Lines, the
Maine Line, Pawtuxet Valley Lines, and Coach USA Boston—
that it purchased in 2003. The new, unified computerized sys-
tems streamline operations by instantly capturing transaction
data, purchases, and expenses. And data are available on each
of the company’s branches instantaneously so that managers
can keep their fingers on the pulse of the company at all times.
A CHANGING LANDSCAPE:
RESPONDING TO TODAY’S SAFETY AND
SECURITY NEEDS
Safety has always been a concern for Peter Pan. After all,
passengers’ trust is fundamental to the success of a trans-
portation company. Data from the National Safety Council
and the U.S. Federal Highway Administration indicate that
the intercity motor coach industry is consistently one of the
safest modes of transportation. Peter Pan has continually
received the Department of Transportation’s highest safety
rating and has been recognized by the Department of
Defense for its safety achievements. Its drivers are profes-
sionally trained and enrolled as members of the National
Safety Council. And in the event of any emergency, drivers
are instructed to pull over immediately and contact the dis-
patch office.
But the security landscape changed drastically—and for-
ever—after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. All
travel companies had to respond immediately and decisively
to increased security needs, and Peter Pan Bus Lines quickly
adapted to its new environment. Not waiting for government
intervention, the company leapt into action to completely
revamp its security procedures. The company’s safety directors,
Chris Crean and John Stiles, headed the effort to redesign the
company’s operations from the ground up—from ticketing
and loading passengers to luggage security, control of access
to bus maintenance facilities, and increased communications.
Critical to the redesign was the endorsement by the com-
pany’s top executives. That top-level mandate was needed to
help change some employees’ entrenched practices and the
culture of the firm. In an industry with such a long history, it is
understandable that some employees might resist change and
adopt the “we’ve always done it this way” mentality. But the
safety needs of the passengers after 9/11 overrode all objec-
tions, and the company’s top executives mandated and rein-
forced change. The message from the top carried through to
middle managers and all employees.
James Stiles mentions a unique idea he had while on
vacation in Northern Ireland. It struck him that the Irish have
had to deal with terrorism for a long time and that Peter
Pan might learn from Irish bus companies’ business practices
and so avert mishaps. The company benchmarked their best
practices to learn from their Irish counterparts, and Crean
and Stiles came away with some helpful guidelines and sug-
gestions. The goal at Peter Pan’s safety department was to
ensure that security and safety practices became an integral
part of Peter Pan’s everyday functions, something the Irish
bus companies had already accomplished.
Communication now flows throughout the company so
that the driver supervisors in the dispatch offices know the
location of each bus at all times and who is on it. All coaches
are secured, locked, and under constant watch. The two-way
communications with all bus drivers during their routes or
tours allows everyone to be aware of any hazardous situa-
tions, whether it be bad weather systems, a possible hostile
passenger, or unforeseen events such as the tragedy of 9/11.
Peter Pan’s commitment to providing information to all
employees is central to its need to remain on top of—and in
control during—unexpected events.
Today, the safety department conducts regular safety and
security training and retraining seminars with all employees,
and the company has drafted and distributed a written
web cases 1/26/05 4:58 PM Page 7
safety plan covering every imaginable scenario. Employees
constantly refer to the manual as questions arise and direct
any questions or concerns to the safety department. Such
support and reinforcement in the form of training and writ-
ten policies and procedures allows employees to react imme-
diately and correctly in tense or difficult situations.
New screening procedures for passengers require photo
identification at the time of ticket purchase and check-in. No
unattended luggage is allowed in the terminals; passengers
must remain with their bags until they are loaded. Also, all
luggage and bags must be tagged, and the company pro-
vides ID tags at the ticket counters. Once luggage is loaded,
all of the bus luggage hatches are closed and sealed with
color-coded cable ties to ensure that they have not been
tampered with after they are secured. Once completely open
to outsiders, the maintenance barn now has a strict no-
visitors policy, and in the unlikely event that a stranger could
get into the facility, employees are immediately instructed to
confront the stranger and ensure he or she exits the area.
One pitfall that Peter Pan wanted to avoid was customer
profiling—denying service to someone based on his or her
appearance, race, or ethnicity. The safety directors empha-
size that the company is in the business of providing service,
and selecting and rejecting passengers would doom the
company. They ensure that employees understand that their
role is not one of enforcing compliance, such as a law
enforcement officer might do. Instead, employees are
trained to resist and reject profiling, since the company’s
reputation for consideration and fairness must be at the
forefront of all its employees’ actions and words.
During the recent Democratic National Convention in
Boston, Peter Pan and other transportation companies got
to test their new security procedures. Officials of the federal
government, particularly the Transportation Safety Adminis-
tration (TSA), were concerned with possible terrorist or vio-
lent mob actions that could disrupt the convention. So,
transportation companies began instituting heightened
safety checks, such as random bag searches and luggage
checks with bomb-sniffing dogs. Some companies, among
them Peter Pan Bus Lines, met with TSA officials to discuss
their security plans and inspections, although the depart-
ment did not issue any blanket directives to carriers. As they
carried out their new procedures, companies wanted to ana-
lyze the effect on passengers—to determine what was effec-
tive and what intrusion was necessary. Customers were
informed of the new security procedures during the conven-
tion, handed fliers explaining them, and assured that no spe-
cific threats had been received.
Contemporary Business 2006 7
With the increased security measures and closing of some
Boston transit stations during the convention, bus lines sur-
veyed their regular commuters to see whether they would
be affected by the changes. In most cases, about half the
commuters decided not to do their regular commute that
week. But bus lines found that that drop in ridership was
offset by increased convention service. No major incidents
were reported during the week, and the convention went
off without a hitch. Peter Pan Bus Lines and other carriers
plan to do whatever they can to keep it that way.
QUESTIONS FOR CRITICAL THINKING
1. Peter Pan Bus Lines is a family-owned business. Consider
the company from a strategic business standpoint. Make
a list of all the advantages and disadvantages you can
think of to being family run. Do you think family-owned
firms are a good idea?
2. Review the personal characteristics and management
styles of the company’s two main founders, Peter C. and
Peter L. Picknelly, as described in the case. How well do
their personal characteristics fit with those of typical
entrepreneurs?
3. Peter Pan Bus Lines operates in what many would con-
sider a low-tech industry. But the company uses some
high-tech information and communications systems. How
has technology benefited Peter Pan and its customers?
4. The terrorist attacks of 9/11 completely altered Peter
Pan’s business environment. How did it respond to the
possible threats and ensure customers’ safety? Do you
think the company did a good job of making its
changes?
Sources: Peter Pan Bus Lines Web site, http://peterpanbus.com, accessed
December 1, 2004; “Historical Ridership Trends,” American Public Transporta-
tion Association, www.ata.com, accessed November 12, 2004; “Client: Peter
Pan Bus Lines,” Rubberneck Web site, www.rubberneck.net, accessed
November 12, 2004; “Springfield Business Leader Dead at 73,” The Republi-
can, October 4, 2004, www.masslive.com; Jay Fitzgerald, “Buses Expect DNC
Drop in Commuter Numbers,” Boston Herald, July 21, 2004, http://business
.bostonherald.com; Anthony Flint, “Searches Under Way on Buses to Hub,”
Boston Globe, July 8, 2004, www.boston.com; “Western Massachusetts
Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame: Peter C. Picknelly, Peter L. Picknelly,” Scibelli
Enterprise Center, Springfield Technical Community College, http://sec.stcc
.edu, June 3, 2004; Greg Gatlin, “Chinatown Buses Colliding with Law, Rivals,”
Boston Herald, May 14, 2004, http://business.bostonherald.com; Lisa Clif-
ford, “Stagecoach Nears U.S. Bus Sale,” The Daily Deal, April 24, 2003,
accessed at www.findarticles.com; “Peter Pan Goes through Growth Spurt,
Adds 12 More MCI J4500 Coaches,” Motor Coach Industries press release, April
16, 2004, www.mcicoach.com; Margaret Walsh, “The Bus Industry in the
United States,” Economic History Encyclopedia, Robert Whaples, ed., January
28, 2003, http://eh.net/encyclopedia; “VERSYSS Provides a Smooth Transi-
tion as Peter Pan Acquires Five New Companies,” VERSYSS press release,
Spring 2003, www.versyss.com.