and soon expanding to Rochester, the company has grown along with the Holter family.
George and Marilyn’s son Stan currently manages Richfield Bus Company in Bloomington, MN. Stan’s brother Dan manages Rochester City Lines about 80 miles south in Rochester. Dan’s son Christian currently works as the third generation of the Holter family in the business, overseeing the marketing and route development of the regional commuter service.
RCL and RBC are sister companies working in tandem to provide two distinct service offerings: charter and commuter transport. The commuter division utilizes over 30 coach buses every weekday, offering public transit service connecting 35 communities to Rochester, Minnesota. Routes operate at peak times in the morning and afternoon offering comfortable, clean and convenient transit service for the region’s workforce. Routes are established based on ridership and community partnerships with shopping centers, grocery stores and local governments. Fares cover 100% of operating costs, making the RCL model a unique outlier in the landscape of regional public transport in America.
The charter division has grown from a small fleet of a few tour buses to a complete fleet of nearly 40 vehicles with premium products at every capacity point, from eight passenger Dodge Promaster vans to midsize thirteen, twenty and 27 passenger vehicles, to 56 passenger deluxe motorcoaches with ultra-modern amenities and design flourishes.
Charter customers range from quilting groups looking for a day trip to different shops and knitting parties, to corporate executives touring a potential new development site. During sports season, the signature bright yellow buses can be seen at all of Minnesota’s major sports stadiums. RCL and RBC also serve other transport entities with emergency backup bus service including major airlines and Amtrak. Like many charter companies, RCL and RBC also serve school districts, community colleges and universities with comfortable and dependable student transportation for extracurricular events and activities.
Most recently the companies have continued to innovate through partnerships with regional health systems to provide private transport services for hospitalists and other patient care professionals who travel from site to site for their life-saving work. The Holter family and their staff are gaining a reputation for understanding the unique needs of this growing industry and meeting goals centered around workforce attraction, recruitment and retention.
In August of 2016, Rochester City Lines celebrated their 50th anniversary with a community celebration that featured a free ice cream social, carnival games, door prizes and many antique buses on display. The event brought together employees past and present and their families for a wonderful afternoon enjoyed by young and old alike.
The Holter family has worked to surround themselves with experienced and knowledgeable staff, eager to provide enjoyable and memorable transportation for travelers of all ages. They take great pride in the reputation they’ve earned as a leader in the industry. With experienced professional drivers operating the safest and cleanest equipment available, Richfield Bus Company and Rochester City Lines provide comfortable transportation and are dedicated to supporting hard work and family values.
