Mercury Associates has returned to independent ownership more than two decades after the fleet consulting firm was founded.

John Martin, Brad Smith, and Daniel Reichmann purchased the company from Student Transportation of America on July 17 through their holding company, Mercury Associates Partners LLC. Reichmann will serve as CEO and CFO, Martin as president, and Smith as chief operating and chief people officer.

The three executives began discussing a possible acquisition after working together during a period of staffing and leadership changes at Mercury.

Although they did not initially expect the opportunity to become available, they came to view ownership as a way to give the firm more control over its direction.

“Acquiring Mercury allows us more flexibility and freedom to explore opportunities and take risks that we were constrained from pursuing under corporate ownership,” they said in a joint response provided to Government Fleet.

The new owners said the transition will not affect existing contracts or client relationships. Government fleet clients can expect Mercury to continue providing advisory services, with more emphasis placed on analytical tools that can turn fleet data into operational recommendations.

The firm plans to develop tools that can work across different data sources rather than requiring clients to use a particular fleet management system.

Mercury also plans to continue expanding the Certified Fleet Management Organization program, which evaluates fleet operations using documented performance standards.

The company acquired the program’s rights and framework in early 2025 after it had been dormant since 2019. Mercury subsequently updated the program and relaunched it at the 2025 Government Fleet Expo & Conference.

As agencies have worked through the certification process, Mercury said access to usable data has remained a common obstacle.

“We are seeing that data remains an issue,” the company said. “Being able to easily extract and disseminate data that proves the efficiency and quality of an organization remains a challenge.”

Mercury said the certification process gives fleet operations a way to measure performance and strengthen how results are reported to agency leadership.

The company is also reviewing whether to develop a modified version of the program for private-sector fleets. Additional government fleet organizations that complete the certification process are expected to be recognized during GFX 2027 in Cobb County, Georgia.

Mercury was founded by Paul Lauria in 2002. Its website now identifies the company as an independent consulting firm without commercial ties to another business entity.