2026 CEO Spotlight: Roman Cornell, CEO of ABC Companies

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Listening to What Transit Agencies Need Next

Roman Cornell on turning agency challenges into action

Roman Cornell, CEO of ABC Companies, grew up in the passenger transportation industry, watching his family build a legacy around relationships, hard work and a willingness to solve problems. That experience shaped a leadership philosophy he still follows today: listen closely, understand what customers are facing and act when there is a better path forward.

As the third-generation leading ABC, he carries forward a belief that relationships are earned through presence, honest conversation and follow-through. He also understands that preserving a legacy requires preparing the business to meet needs that are changing.

“You cannot understand what an agency needs from a distance,” Cornell said. “You have to listen to the people operating and maintaining the vehicles and understand what is affecting their ability to serve their communities.”

ABC sees those consequences from two connected perspectives. As a distributor, the company sees how availability and lead times influence procurement and fleet planning. As a parts and service provider, ABC sees what happens throughout the vehicle lifecycle when equipment does not perform as expected; components are difficult to source, or maintenance teams cannot get timely information and support.

That view has reinforced a clear priority for Cornell: a vehicle cannot be evaluated only at delivery. Agencies must also consider how it will perform, how it will be maintained, whether parts will be available, and what support will exist throughout its operating life.

Across customer conversations and service operations, ABC continued to encounter the same need: greater access to dependable vehicles backed by parts, service and technical support. ABC is now working to bring a solution to market shaped by those requirements.

Cornell’s instinct is to act, but he does not assume one leader has every answer. He sets the direction and surrounds himself with leaders who bring deeper operational, technical, and commercial knowledge. He expects them to challenge assumptions, take ownership, and remain accountable for the result.

“Our experience does not mean we have every answer,” Cornell explains. “We start with the customer problem, bring the right people together, test our assumptions and give them clear instructions for execution. It gives us a responsibility to keep the agency’s operating reality at the center of the work.”

That combination of curiosity and accountability defines Cornell’s leadership. Leading a third-generation family business allows him to think beyond the next quarter, but he does not view legacy as permission to stand still. For Cornell, honoring ABC’s history means making deliberate decisions about where the company can contribute next and holding the organization accountable for delivering them.

Cornell wants ABC’s role in public transportation to grow from the foundation it has already earned: relationships, vehicle experience and support beyond delivery. He believes the company can help address a challenge the public transit agency has made clear, but he understands that belief and experience is only the beginning.

“We see a real need, and we believe ABC can be part of the solution,” Cornell said. “Our responsibility is to do the work and earn that confidence.”

ABC will share more about its next step in public transportation at APTA TRANSform & EXPO 2026 in Chicago. APTA attendees can visit Booth 631 to compare vehicles from leading manufacturers and meet the ABC team.

Full booth information: https://info.abc-companies.com/apta-2026.

ABC Companies

17469 West Colonial Drive
Winter Garden, FL 34787
800-222-2871
www.abc-companies.com