| Cavs Coach News |
December 04, 2005
By Rick Steelhammer
Staff writer Charleston, WV Gazette
While other kids entertained fantasies about becoming athletes or astronauts, Chris
Cavender longed for the time when he could own a bus. "It probably has something to do with
talking to a neighbor of ours when I was growing up who drove for Greyhound," said
Cavender. "And I rode a charter bus going back and forth to Romney when I was going to
school there. But ever since I was a small child, I've been fascinated with buses and have
wanted to have my own motor coach." At age 35, Cavender's dream has been fulfilled.
He is the president of Cav's Coach Co., a charter and tour bus outfit based out of his Cross
Lanes home. The company's principal asset is a 47-passenger Prevost motor coach,
equipped with on board movie screens and extra-large tinted windows. Until starting up his
own bus company, Cavender's experience with charter buses consisted mainly of numerous
trips between the Kanawha Valley and high school in Romney. He is a 1989 graduate of the
West Virginia School for the Blind. "I had a hard time coming up with a name for the
company," said Cavender. "I thought about having some fun with it and calling it Blind Man's
Bus, but I'm sure some people might have gotten the wrong idea." As president of Cav's
Coach Co., he may be the nation's only blind tour bus operator. "I checked with the American
Bus Association, and the people there told me that as of now, they know of no other
vision-impaired person who owns a motor coach company," he said. With extremely limited
daytime vision and no vision at night, Cavender won't be driving. But he plans to do some on
board tour narration and will be on hand to meet and greet customers on charters he
arranges. "I'll also do all the bookings and chartering," he said.
Cavender is no stranger to tour groups or the hospitality industry. A 1997 graduate of West
Virginia State College's hospitality management program, he has helped promote tours,
coordinate ticket sales and greet passengers taking part in the C.P. Huntington Railroad
Historical Society's annual New River Gorge scenic rail tours for the past 15 years. "For two
years after I graduated from West Virginia State, I tried really hard to get a job, but with my
vision problem, no one wanted to hire me," Cavender said. "I eventually gave up, and helped
my dad and brother with their business, Cross Lanes Fire Equipment."
But after reading up on the tour bus industry and spending time hanging out with his motor
coach mentor - George Lambert, president of Capital Coach in St. Albans - Cavender decided
to start his own business. "The travel industry is getting bigger all the time, and with the
number of seniors growing so fast, the tour and charter bus segment should grow rapidly,
too," he said. "I hope to be buying a second bus next spring." "Chris has always been a nut
about buses, and he really proved it when he said he wanted to buy one," said Lambert, who
sold Cavender his first motor coach. "But he's a good person who was raised by good
parents, and he should be able to make this work. I just hope he's as happy six months from
now as he is today," he said with a laugh. Cavender said after putting together the financial
backing needed to start his venture, it has taken months to process all the details needed to
open it. Among other chores, he said, "I needed to get authorized by the Interstate Commerce
Commission and the PSC, arrange for insurance, which costs $9,000 a year per bus, and get
three drivers lined up."
This weekend, Cav's Coach Co., is hosting its first tours - one to Ohio's Amish country and
another to Wheeling for the Festival of Lights and a stop at the huge Cabela's retail
complex."This is what I've been wanting to do since I was a small child," said Cavender. "But I
wouldn't be here now without a lot of people supporting me."
He credits the Rock Branch Community Bank in Nitro and Bill Deal of the Huntington Small
Business Development Center with helping get his financial backing in order.
In addition to his parents, retired Charleston firefighter Walt Cavender and Karol Cavender, he
credits Lambert and Poca resident Bill Gillespie with providing the personal support needed
to get his bus venture rolling.
Cavender said he expects school groups making field trips and senior groups touring West
Virginia and bordering states to account for most of his business.
To contact staff writer Rick Steelhammer, use e-mail or call 348-5169.
By Rick Steelhammer
Staff writer Charleston, WV Gazette
While other kids entertained fantasies about becoming athletes or astronauts, Chris
Cavender longed for the time when he could own a bus. "It probably has something to do with
talking to a neighbor of ours when I was growing up who drove for Greyhound," said
Cavender. "And I rode a charter bus going back and forth to Romney when I was going to
school there. But ever since I was a small child, I've been fascinated with buses and have
wanted to have my own motor coach." At age 35, Cavender's dream has been fulfilled.
He is the president of Cav's Coach Co., a charter and tour bus outfit based out of his Cross
Lanes home. The company's principal asset is a 47-passenger Prevost motor coach,
equipped with on board movie screens and extra-large tinted windows. Until starting up his
own bus company, Cavender's experience with charter buses consisted mainly of numerous
trips between the Kanawha Valley and high school in Romney. He is a 1989 graduate of the
West Virginia School for the Blind. "I had a hard time coming up with a name for the
company," said Cavender. "I thought about having some fun with it and calling it Blind Man's
Bus, but I'm sure some people might have gotten the wrong idea." As president of Cav's
Coach Co., he may be the nation's only blind tour bus operator. "I checked with the American
Bus Association, and the people there told me that as of now, they know of no other
vision-impaired person who owns a motor coach company," he said. With extremely limited
daytime vision and no vision at night, Cavender won't be driving. But he plans to do some on
board tour narration and will be on hand to meet and greet customers on charters he
arranges. "I'll also do all the bookings and chartering," he said.
Cavender is no stranger to tour groups or the hospitality industry. A 1997 graduate of West
Virginia State College's hospitality management program, he has helped promote tours,
coordinate ticket sales and greet passengers taking part in the C.P. Huntington Railroad
Historical Society's annual New River Gorge scenic rail tours for the past 15 years. "For two
years after I graduated from West Virginia State, I tried really hard to get a job, but with my
vision problem, no one wanted to hire me," Cavender said. "I eventually gave up, and helped
my dad and brother with their business, Cross Lanes Fire Equipment."
But after reading up on the tour bus industry and spending time hanging out with his motor
coach mentor - George Lambert, president of Capital Coach in St. Albans - Cavender decided
to start his own business. "The travel industry is getting bigger all the time, and with the
number of seniors growing so fast, the tour and charter bus segment should grow rapidly,
too," he said. "I hope to be buying a second bus next spring." "Chris has always been a nut
about buses, and he really proved it when he said he wanted to buy one," said Lambert, who
sold Cavender his first motor coach. "But he's a good person who was raised by good
parents, and he should be able to make this work. I just hope he's as happy six months from
now as he is today," he said with a laugh. Cavender said after putting together the financial
backing needed to start his venture, it has taken months to process all the details needed to
open it. Among other chores, he said, "I needed to get authorized by the Interstate Commerce
Commission and the PSC, arrange for insurance, which costs $9,000 a year per bus, and get
three drivers lined up."
This weekend, Cav's Coach Co., is hosting its first tours - one to Ohio's Amish country and
another to Wheeling for the Festival of Lights and a stop at the huge Cabela's retail
complex."This is what I've been wanting to do since I was a small child," said Cavender. "But I
wouldn't be here now without a lot of people supporting me."
He credits the Rock Branch Community Bank in Nitro and Bill Deal of the Huntington Small
Business Development Center with helping get his financial backing in order.
In addition to his parents, retired Charleston firefighter Walt Cavender and Karol Cavender, he
credits Lambert and Poca resident Bill Gillespie with providing the personal support needed
to get his bus venture rolling.
Cavender said he expects school groups making field trips and senior groups touring West
Virginia and bordering states to account for most of his business.
To contact staff writer Rick Steelhammer, use e-mail or call 348-5169.
Seeing things through . . .
Blindness no deterrent to motor coach operator
Blindness no deterrent to motor coach operator
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| CAVS COACH COMPANY Phone: 304-776-7580 |