M&M expands bus service to Maple Lake

Purchasing Mooney Bus Service in Maple Lake was the natural next step for M & M Bus in Annandale.
Not only is the proximity ideal, the Maple Lake School District is already familiar with the company, said Karen Millner, co-owner of M & M Bus Service Inc.
M & M drivers make the six mile run to Maple Lake nearly every day during wrestling and hockey seasons. It has been that way since Annandale and Maple Lake combined the teams.
When they are not transporting teenagers, they are delivering children for the Maple Lake Head Start program.
“It was a good opportunity,” Karen said of the purchase. “It fits right in with the rest of our business.”
M & M Bus bought out Mooney Bus Service in late June. In doing so, it added 15 new buses to the fleet.
The purchase of Mooney Bus Service marks another advance in M & M’s expansion.
According to Roger Millner, co-owner of M & M Bus, customers in Maple Lake and Annandale will see very little change, if any, in their services come fall.
In Maple Lake, everything will be run similar to how it has been in the past, Roger said.
“The Mooney brothers did an excellent job. If we can do as well, we will be doing good.”
The only difference at the bus shed this year will be a new manager, and the location of the home office in Annandale.
“Everyone who worked for them (Mooney Bus Service) before, will be employed by M & M if they are interested,” Roger said.
The only real change for M & M will be the addition of a fast lube service. The bus shed in Maple Lake has an established fast lube service center for buses, trucks and cars. According to Roger, M & M will be able to run buses to Maple Lake for break jobs, muffler and exhaust services, something M & M is not as well equipped to deal with at the Annandale shed.
M & M will continue to do large maintenance jobs at the home office, he added.
The real benefit for M & M will be lower overhead costs, which means better service for customers, Roger said.
Like the Mooney Bus Service, M & M Bus is a family owned company.
Three of the Milner’s four children work for the company, and their youngest son, Sam, will join the ranks after completing his final year at college.
Their daughter Shelly is the general manager at M & M and their other daughter Shari, works with safety and compliance. Their son Scott will manage the Maple Lake office, Roger said.
Roger began his career in the bus business as a general manager, dispatcher and mechanic at Larson Bus Service in Sauk Rapids. In 1973, he and Ed Larson purchased the Neil Bahr bus business in Annandale. Back then it was called M & L Bus. In 1980, Roger and his wife, Karen bought out Ed’s share of the company and changed the name to M & M. Now they are a successful business with new avenues opening up every day.
Four years ago, M & M became the home office for Vision Transportation, a company made up of six bus contractors, of which Roger is the president. Vision Transportation has buses in Elk River and Rogers.
M & M also serves as the executive office for the Minnesota School Bus Operators Association, of which Shelly and Shari are the executive directors.
Shari works with the drug and alcohol testing consortium as well. The Consortium is also based out of M & M Busing.
But M & M isn’t strictly about busing. M & M Express has transported grain and seed for the local area since 1978. Now M & M’s semi-trucks transport goods for Minnesota Meat Masters in Annandale as well.
Not only will the addition of Mooney Bus Service benefit M & M Bus, it will benefit the community as well, Roger said.