[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 86 (Friday, June 26, 1998)]
[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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