OATS celebrates 45 years of operation

Columbia-based OATS, Inc., held a celebration of its 45th anniversary Wednesday at the Holiday Inn Expo Center.

OATS began in 1970 with $30,000 and a group of volunteers. With that seed money and dedication, those volunteers laid the groundwork for what has become a multi-million dollar company.

Organizers expected over 800 attendees and 65 busses from across Missouri. The day included presentations by Regional Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration Mokhtee Ahmad, and Missouri Department of Transportation Director Patrick McKenna

OATS services ranges from taking toddlers to pre-school, getting people to work each day, taking patients to life-saving medical appointments and dialysis treatments, taking seniors shopping, and even delivering meals to home-bound seniors in some communities. OATS was also named as the national Rural Service Provider of the Year in 2016 by the Community Transportation Association of America.

To learn more about OATS, Inc., go to www.oatstransit.org, or call 573-443-4516.