FACT Rolling Into 2024 On Several 'High Notes'

Uniontown, PA- Fayette Area Coordinated Transportation (FACT) will head into the new year with two new advertising jingles - and one prestigious award.

The Fayette County Commissioners approved contracts with Clay Taylor of Fayette-based Orchard Camp Studios and Hugh Kirkpatrick, who has local ties, for complete composition, recording and production of two new FACT jingles at a total cost of $4,000.

FACT Director Rudy Dutko said both producers were recommended to him, following an extensive, months-long search for the right fit.

"Though many have come to recognize and love the existing jingle that we have had for 20 years, it was time to freshen it up. Both (Taylor and Kirkpatrick) were excited to work with us and both submitted sample jingles. Both jingles were good, and the commissioners were torn between the two," Dutko said. "It was then suggested that nothing prevented us from using both, since the cost for the two was more than reasonable. Thus, we have two jingles that we will be using moving forward, and the old jingle will be discontinued all together."

The original FACT jingle was produced in the 1990s, following an open jingle-writing contest. Former FACT employee Jill Rush Streit's extremely catchy winning submission has been played across radio stations ever since. The new jingle will also be aired throughout southwestern Pennsylvania on multiple stations.

"When I was hired, the commissioners charged me with many tasks, and one of them was to rebrand FACT," Dutko said. "The new jingles and new logo will help bring a fresh look to our advertising and marketing. This is just the beginning steps for FACT to become better. We're getting our services and message out to as many people as possible."

Earlier this year, FACT unveiled its new logo, created by West Media, which it has been steadily rolling out on its bus fleet, marketing materials and more. The organization also launched a social media campaign on its rebranded Facebook page. Additionally, Dutko said, FACT employees have been attending community events often, performing outreach to countless groups and citizens.

"Internally, we're encouraging our staff to undergo regular training so that we may better serve the public and better our own approach to public transportation," Dutko said. "This rebranding is not an overnight process, and it's not a one-and-done deal. This must be an ongoing approach that we strive to better ourselves.

FACT's revamping efforts have paid off, as they were recently voted Fayette County's best transportation provider through Nemacolin's annual Best in Fayette Awards. For the next year, their brand will also boast the Best in Fayette badge - one Dutko and his staff proudly bear.

One more change coming to FACT this year is a modified seasonal schedule, which will allow bus drivers to spend more time with their families for the holidays. FACT's regular Sunday routes will end early on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, and New Year's Eve, Dec. 31.

On both dates, the last bus will stop at the Uniontown Transfer Center at 3:30 p.m. The bus will proceed to its normal Hopwood stops, before ending up at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa. If passengers at Nemacolin need transit back to Uniontown, FACT will accommodate them.

For more information, visit www.FACTbus.com or the Fayette Area Coordinated Transportation page at www.FayetteCountyPA.org.

The first of FACT's two new jingles is available for preview now at www.Facebook.com/FayetteCoFACT.

To learn more about Fayette County, visit www.fayettecountypa.org.

Editor's Note: Photosattached (FACT Director Rudy Dutko; FACT Fleet)

###

This communication, among other initiatives, is funded through the 2016 Fayette County Local Share Account (LSA) in cooperation with the Fayette County Board of Commissioners, Fayette Chamber of Commerce, The Redevelopment Authority of the County of Fayette, The Redstone Foundation and other partners. This funding has been designated for the continued promotion and marketing of Fayette County, PA.

For more information, contact Kristi Kassimer Harper, Public Relations Specialist, at 724-437-4571, [email protected] or Kaylie Moore, Community Relations Coordinator, at 724-430-1200 Ext. 1611, [email protected].