AEV President Retires After 40-Year Career

From left: Dean Sink, Mark Van Arnam and Randy Hanson. Mark was awarded a plaque in honor of his ?exceptional and outstanding leadership.?

After 4-plus decades in the ambulance business, starting as a driver in 1968, Mark Van Arnam, President of American Emergency Vehicles (AEV), one of Mickey?s largest and longest running customers, has retired. He?ll stay with the company for another year in a consulting role to help facilitate the transition to his successor and 30-year colleague, Randy Hanson, most recently Executive Vice President of Operations.

Based in Jefferson, NC, AEV has the largest share of the U.S. ambulance market and offers the broadest line of units in the industry. Mickey Truck Bodies, High Point, NC, has been supplying the aluminum bodies to AEV since the company was formed in 1991. During that time Mickey has produced over 9,000 bodies for AEV and is currently averaging about 700 units a year.

?I?ve always believed that our 2 companies share similar values and philosophies,? says Dean Sink, Mickey President. ?Integrity, honesty, customer service and reliability. Mark is a model leader and I am proud to have worked with him and proud to have him as a friend. I have also known and worked with Randy for many years as well. Mark could not be passing the baton to a more talented and worthy successor. They both have a tremendous work ethic and it resonates throughout their company.?

Mark is now working with the Commission on Accreditation for Ambulance Services (CAAS) on the implementation of the new Ground Vehicle Standard (GVS v.1.0), which is expected to become ?the new cornerstone for emergency vehicle production and certification throughout North America.” CAAS is an ANSI accredited organization that defines the ?gold standard? for operations in the medical transportation industry.

The GVS committee spent over 2 years developing this new consensus standard for ambulances. ?Our task now is to continue to raise the bar for high standards in the structural strength and safety of our ambulance bodies, something we have always done here at AEV in partnership with Mickey Truck Bodies,? says Mark.