William Regan 1932-2024

For 56 years, William Regan became a powerhouse in the school bus industry, transforming a small business into a large, sprawling operation spanning multiple school districts in several counties and covering portions of two states.
The owner of Agnes Corporation, the holding company of school bus operations in Hayfield, Owatonna, Medford and Blooming Prairie, in addition to many other areas, died last week at his home in Owatonna. Regan was 91.
Regan never really grasped the concept of retirement as he was active in the bus operations up until health reasons forced him away last June. At that time, Regan was given three weeks to three months to live. Prior to that, Regan enjoyed working right alongside his daughter, Katy Kreutter, who serves as chief executive officer of the company. Kreutter went to college to be a nurse but ended up coming back home to work with her father and turned into “a great bus operator,” Regan once said.
“He has been a true inspiration to me,” said Steve Hale, who has worked for the Regan family for 45 years and currently serves as general manager. “He was a man that knew so much on how to provide people with opportunities.”
One of those opportunities came early in Hale’s career when Regan sent Hale and his wife to Texas to head up a transportation mission at the Space Center Houston. Hale stayed in Houston for three years on a government contract Regan was able to obtain.
“He was so good at bidding those things,” Hale said of Regan. “It was a great opportunity for me to see another part of the world.”
In 1991, Hale took on the general manager role. Even in his administrative role, Hale learned from Regan that he should never lose sight of the most important part of busing—driving students to and from school. To this day, Hale often jumps behind the wheel to assist with driving buses.
Regan drove buses himself up until he was 80. “I was the No. 1 spare. I knew every route,” he said.
Regan’s son, John, joined the operation in Mason City in 2009 after serving in the Air Force for many years. John once said his father has never been a shrewd businessman. “He has a huge heart,” John said. “He’ll never screw anybody over in his life. He’s fair and honest.”
William Regan got his humble start in 1968 when he came to Owatonna to take over an operation of 14 school buses. He also inherited the hearse service for local funeral homes for 12 years.
Within five years, the bus operation grew to 28. In 1978, Regan built a new garage at the current location on the west side of Owatonna under the water tower. The garage was built for 40 buses. “We’ll never need any more than that,” Regan recalled thinking back then in an interview in 2020. The garage has been expanded once to 56 buses, but there is no more room left for additional space. The company now utilizes 72 buses just in Owatonna.
In addition to operations in Owatonna, the company also has operations in St. Louis Park (1984), Albert Lea (1991), Mason City (1999), Medford (2004), Blooming Prairie (2011) and Hayfield (2015). Just this year, the company added Alden-Conger and Glenville-Emmons. Agnes also operates Cavalier Coaches, Inc., a charter bus service serving customers throughout southern Minnesota and northern Iowa with terminals in Owatonna, Albert Lea and Mason City.
A long-time member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Owatonna, Regan’s faith played a key role in his life. “My strongest foundation in my life is my Catholic faith,” Regan said in a past interview.
His faith also spilled over into his bus work. “My first prayer in the morning is keep my buses safe and on time,” he said, noting he had never experienced any major catastrophes with the buses.
Funeral services were held Monday.