ALLENTOWN, Pa. — On Nov. 4, Dick Bus, president of ATAS International, received an Icon Honors award. The awards recognized Greater Lehigh Valley business leaders for their notable success and demonstration of strong leadership both within and outside of their chosen fields. The awards not only celebrate the recipients’ leadership skills, but also their dedication to their community.
Bus has served as president of ATAS since 1995, and he is also the vice president of its sister company, BRIGHTSMITH Coaters. In 1963, the company began as Aluminum Trim and Shapes, founded by Bus’ father, Jacobus “Jack” Bus, evolving from his siding and trim installer business. At that time, Jack and Nel Bus lived in a home in Rochester, N.Y. with their eight children, and the business started in their basement. Bus helped his father by working on jobsites during his childhood, taking on other responsibilities and positions in manufacturing as the company continued to grow.
Currently a board member of the Metal Construction Association (MCA) and the National Roofing Contractors Association, Bus has served and supported numerous industry associations for many years. He is currently the president of the Metal Roofing Alliance, a member of Construction Specifications Institute (CSI), and a former president of the MCA. Locally, Bus serves on the boards of the Da Vinci Science Center and the Manufacturers Resource Center (MRC).
A strong proponent of educating youth on the exciting careers in manufacturing and the AEC (architecture, engineering, and construction) industry, Bus has supported many initiatives. Those include MRC’s “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing” video contest in the Lehigh Valley for middle school students and National Association of Manufacturers annual Manufacturing Day. Bus has also been a supporter of the Let’s Build Construction Camp for Girls, which began in the Lehigh Valley in 2017. He has assisted the camp with sponsorships and donated materials, and employees have volunteered time as instructors and mentors to the campers. The Pennsylvania Education Improvement Tax Credit program to foster scholarships for the trades and manufacturing has also benefitted from Bus’ support.
From 1994 to 2004, Bus resurrected the Boy Scouts of America Troop 150 in Orefield, Pa. He led four of the original seven scouts to the rank of Eagle. In 2016, he received the Good Scout Award from Boy Scouts of America.
Although the third generation of his family is now involved in the management of ATAS, Bus shows no signs of slowing down. He will continue to contribute toward the business with the development of innovative building products, services, education, and training, along with continuing to participate in industry and local organizations, to further their missions.
