[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1251-E1252]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

MARTZ GROUP PRAISED

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HON. PAUL E. KANJORSKI

of pennsylvania

in the house of representatives

Thursday, June 25, 1998

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the Martz
Group, the nation's largest, privately-held, non-subsidized bus
company. The Martz Group is headquartered in my district in Wilkes-
Barre, Pennsylvania and this year is celebrating its 90th Anniversary.
It has grown from owning a single bus to owning 400 motor vehicles and
employing 700 people worldwide.
The Martz Group provides vital services for my constituents. Last
month alone, an estimated 2,500 people a day traveled on Martz buses
from New York City to Wilkes-Barre, the most populous city in
Pennsylvania's Eleventh Congressional District. Both the company and
its President/CEO, Frank M. Henry, are very highly regarded in
Northeastern Pennsylvania. I speak for many in the Wyoming Valley when
I say that we are looking forward to another generation of fine
leadership as Scott Henry increases his role in the company.
Mr. Speaker, the history of the Martz Group has been adeptly
summarized in a June 14 article by Mary Ondrako for the Wilkes-Barre
Citizens' Voice. I wish to enter this article in the Congressional
Record so that my colleagues may be aware of the distinguished history
of this company. I wish the Martz Group a happy anniversary and
continued success in the future.

[From the Citizens' Voice, June 14, 1998]

Martz Buses Still Rollin' Along 90 Years Later

(By Mary Ondrako)

Ninety years and still rolling along is what the Martz
Group is celebrating this year.
Founded in 1908 by Frank Martz Sr., the business has grown
from a single bus to a transportation empire of nine
companies featuring about 400 motor vehicles and 700
employees worldwide.
The largest, privately held, nonsubsidized bus company is
now under management by Frank Henry and his son, Scott E.
Henry. Scott Henry represents the fourth generation of the
Martz family. Headquarters are on Old River Road, Wilkes-
Barre.
Frank Martz Sr., whom Scott Henry described as an
``innovator,'' back in the 1900s, recognized a need to
provide transportation services for people, who like himself,
often had to walk to their places of employment despite
chilly winters or other inclement weather conditions.
``My great-great grandfather's father ran a company store
and he used to have to deliver

[[Page E1252]]

goods from the company store to different places around town
and he would walk,'' Scott Henry explained. ``He got tired of
walking so he decided to get a truck and he nailed a flat
platform in the back of his truck and saw he could give
miners a ride while he was delivering his goods.''
According to Martz Group, the vehicle he designed, was
``rustic'' by today's standards, but was heralded ``a
chariot'' particularly by mining families in Wyoming Valley
area at that time.
In 1912, Frank Martz Sr., incorporated the White Transit
Company and added four coaches. For a nickel, an individual
could ride the coach to get from `Point A' to `Point B.'
White Transit Company provided public transportation for
Wilkes-Barre area until Luzerne County Transportation
Authority took over the service, Scott Henry noted.
Over the years, Martz coach service was expanded throughout
Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Ohio and Illinois.
Also, in 1926, a four- and six-passenger airplane service
was started by Frank Martz Sr. to shuttle corporate clients
to and from Wilkes-Barre, Newark, Buffalo and Cleveland. This
service ended in 1933.
Frank Martz Coach Co. was incorporated in 1927 and this led
to more buses being added and intracity routes. With this, an
individual could hop on a bus and travel to New York City,
Philadelphia, and upstate New York.
According to Martz Group, the company was the first to
feature an on-board host or hostess. Frank Martz Sr. also is
considered a pioneer in express service, according to
Martz Group. He implemented the service to appease
prospective clients who were disappointed by frequent bus
stops.
In 1936, National Trailways Bus System was established
which consisted of a group of independent carriers providing
transportation and ticketing coordination to help companies
compete against Greyhound. According to Martz Group, Martz is
the sole original member of the organization of 26 carriers.
During the Depression of 1930s, Martz scaled back coach
services. Frank Martz Sr. introduced ``club coaches'' to
clients to help stay the business. Club coaches offered
amenities such as overstuffed chairs, writing desks, radios,
a host or hostess and air conditioning.
At the time of his death in 1936, Frank Martz Sr. was
operating a transportation company that extended along the
Northeast coast and featured 150 coaches.
His son, Frank Martz Jr. then took over the company,
rebuilding Martz after the Depression.
After Frank Martz Jr. died in a helicopter accident in
1964, Frank Henry took over the Martz reins. He serves as
president and CEO of Martz Group; Scott Henry is president of
Martz Trailways.
The company was renamed ``Martz Group'' and has facilities
and services concentrated on the East Coast, from Wilkes-
Barre, including Martz Towers on Public Square, to New York
and Florida.
Businesses operating under the Martz Group banner are Martz
Trailways, Wilkes-Barre; Martz Lines/Gray Line, Philadelphia;
Martz Travel, Wilkes-Barre; Tourtime, Virginia; Gold Line/
Gray Line, Washington, D.C.; Franklin Motorcoach, Virginia;
National Coach Works, Virginia; First Class Coach Co. and
Gulf Coast/Gray Line, both of Florida.
``Basically, we'll do whatever anybody wants to enjoy
themselves in the transportation end of it,'' Scott Henry
said.
He noted excursions offered by Martz include Penn State
football games, fall foliage tours, Belmont Stakes and
Preakness, amusement parks including Great Adventure, New
Jersey, and Hershey Park, and NASCAR events. Martz also
transported passengers to Olympic events held in Atlanta, GA
and Montreal, Canada, according to Scott Henry.
Charters can be arranged for up to 53 people. For those who
desire to travel in the lap of luxury, Martz offers its
``Executive'' line buses. The vehicles are equipped with a
lounge, card tables, sofas, microwaves and coffee makers,
televisions and seat up to 24 people, according to Scott
Henry. A host or hostess is also included in Executive
packages.
``I view our business as we are in the entertainment
business,'' Scott Henry suggested. ``We will take people so
they could go and have a good time.
``If you say you want to go to Pittsburgh, we will get you
tickets for the football game, baseball game. . . . You tell
us how many people you have, an idea of what you want to do
and we'll find something for you,'' he continued.
According to Scott Henry, the business is constantly
growing and adding new coaches, services and upgrading
equipment to transport clients to almost any point in the
world.
Notably upgrades in equipment have helped grow its customer
base, Scott Henry noted.
For example, in the 1950s, Martz was the second company
nationwide to implement two-way radios in its coaches. This
allowed for speed of service in weather bulletins and
assisted communication among passengers.
And it was one of the first to provide television to
clients.
``We were the first in the area and one of the first in the
country to do it and now it's standard where we buy equipment
with televisions on it,'' Scott Henry said of the founder's
foresight.
The company's commitment to service was noted early in the
business's history, Scott Henry added, explaining that Frank
Martz Sr. would situate a block of ice near a ventilation
system as a primitive air-conditioning system for coaches.
A recent upgrade, Martz features four handicap accessible
coaches, one of which is permanently sited in Wilkes-Barre,
Scott Henry said.
And Martz buses can be seen rolling down almost any highway
and bi-way today as a testament of its success.
``In Wilkes-Barre alone, for the month of May, we had
73,000 passengers,'' Scott Henry said of just one of its
daily line services from Wilkes-Barre to New York City.
``That's 2,500 people a day.''
More recently, Martz is offering ``I Ride Trolley''
services in Disneyworld, Florida, and bi-lingual tours in
Washington, D.C. Charters feature head sets for all
passengers in up to five different languages, Scott Henry
explained.
As far as look to the horizon, Scott Henry noted the
company will remain committed to its longstanding motto of
``Safe, courteous service'' which has been the case since
Frank Martz Sr. began the business 90 years ago.
According to Scott Henry, Martz, for now, plans to build up
its holdings.
``We plan to continue to concentrate on the Eastern
region,'' Scott Henry stated.
The company's main competition is from airlines, rental
cars and also people who choose to travel with their own
wheels.
To that end, Martz seeks to safeguard and improve on its
niche in the comfort zone and move closer to becoming a one-
stop service.
He explained persons chartering trips to New York City can
obtain event tickets, arrange for an early night dinner
before catching the latest theatrical production and taking
in a few city sights and maybe catch a flick on the way home.

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