1903 was a historic year in the
transportation industry. The Ford Model A was first produced in 1903, and Star
Tank Company of Goshen, IN, a manufacturer of metal farm equipment, was
founded. Star Tank would undergo a series of name changes over the next 60
years, finally, in 1966, becoming Starcraft Corp. From making the first
aluminum boat to becoming the first company to manufacture luxury van
conversion, Starcraft has been at the forefront of innovation for over 100
years. In 1998, Starcraft entered the shuttle bus industry with Allstar. While
Allstar exhibited some initial success, the acquisition of Starcraft's Bus
division by Forest River, Inc. in 2001 elevated Allstar to its current position
as the "Best Selling Bus in America," with over 50,000 units sold.
Since being acquired by Forest River,
Starcraft has expanded its product offering. With the introduction of each new
model, Starcraft continues to innovate and elevate what customers expect from a
shuttle bus. In 2005, Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway purchased Forest
River, and Starcraft became part of one of the most financially respected companies.
Being part of Berkshire Hathaway has allowed Starcraft to continue to innovate.
In 2006, the Allstar became the only bus to go through Altoona Testing's
7-year/200K mile test with zero failures. In addition, Starcraft's safety focus
and obsession with innovation led it to become the first bus manufacturer to
make backup cameras and seatbelts standard on all of their buses. In another
industry first, in 2018, Starcraft introduced an industry-leading 5-year/100K
mile warranty. These innovations have led to Starcraft becoming North America's
Largest Selling Shuttle Bus Manufacturer.
