Eighteen months after the rare move of selling to an employee ownership trust (EOT), Stephensons of Essex marked a desire for further expansion by welcoming five new Alexander Dennis Enviro200 single-decker buses in March.
Parent company Eastern Transport Holdings, which also owns NIBS Buses, was sold by Bill Hiron under an arrangement where employees are beneficiaries of a trust which holds all the shares. Since that deal was completed in October 2024, Stephensons, which has around 200 employees, has invested nearly £2 million in new buses.
The launch of five new single-deckers, four of which will be used on the 90 service from Witham to Maldon, follows Stephensons’ introduction of nine new buses of the same type last year.
Speaking about the EOT approach, Operations Manager Ryan Scott, who headed the launch of the buses at the Museum of Power, Maldon, says: “It’s nice to be part of something that you have part-ownership of. It’s definitely an attraction point when recruiting drivers.”
Mr Scott, who joined the business a year ago, adds: “Since then we’ve made some heavy investment in new vehicles and made some positive changes to try and drive the business forward and expand.”
Stephensons, which now has a fleet of 129 vehicles, has recently also developed its own ticketing app, and announced it would be enhancing frequency on the 38 service thanks to Bus Service Improvement Plan-backed funding from Essex County Council.
