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June 15, 2009

Nova Bus holds grand-opening ceremony

By DAN HEATH

PLATTSBURGH — The bus starts here.

Nova Bus was officially welcomed to the North Country Monday, as company representatives and local government and business leaders took part in a ceremonial grand opening at the transit-bus assembly plant.

Production began in May on buses that two British Columbia transit authorities will use to transport visitors to the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Nova Bus also just announced a $60 million contract with the Metropolitan Transit Authority’s New York City Transit for 90 LFS (Low Floor System) articulated buses.



JOB FORECAST

Nova Bus President and CEO Gilles Dion said Nova Bus invested $25 million in the 140,000-square-foot facility in Plattsburgh.

“Today marks a new chapter of Nova Bus history,” he said.

Since 2004, the company has successfully grown to hold a more than 45 percent share of the Canadian transit-bus market. The Plattsburgh plant is an opportunity to increase its share of the U.S. market, especially with municipal transit authorities.

The company expects to have 195 employees in Plattsburgh by the end of the year and up to 300 by 2012. Dion said Nova Bus has had more than 700 people join the company since 2007.



ENERGY APPLAUDED

Dion invited many members of the Nova Bus team to the front of the room, where they received a warm round of applause.

“Thank you for your passion. Thank you for your energy,” he said.

The Plattsburgh plant is equipped to assemble the LFS, LFS Hybrid and LFS articulated buses. Nova Bus Marketing Director Nadiner Bernard said the 40-foot LFS has a price range of $400,000 to $450,000. That increases to $600,000 to $650,000 for the hybrid model.

“It is my pleasure to welcome you here to Nova Bus’s newest facility,” Plattsburgh Plant Manager Jim Tooley told visitors.

Plattsburgh Town Supervisor Bernie Bassett said he had fond memories of his first visit to the Nova Bus assembly plant in St. Eustache, Quebec.

“I remember thinking this is the kind of company I would want my family members to work for.”



TEAM EFFORT

It’s a tremendous achievement to bring almost 200 quality jobs to the region in these tough economic times, Bassett said.

He said it was the result of a great relationship between The Development Corp., Nova Bus, VIP Structures and the Town, including its Planning, Codes and Zoning and Water and Wastewater departments.

“This relationship is just beginning.”

Nova Bus is a wholly owned subsidiary of Volvo Bus Corp., which bills itself as the second-largest motor-coach and transit-bus manufacturing group in the world.

Development Corp. President Adoré Flynn Kurtz said it was just one year ago when she participated in the groundbreaking at the Nova Bus site in The Development Corp.’s Banker Road Industrial Park. Even then, she saw the site’s promise.

“Today, the site holds even more promise,” Kurtz said.

She said that includes the promise of rewarding jobs, of a renewal of the community’s manufacturing legacy and of the creation of hybrid transit buses, which will help address the important issues of mass transportation and energy conservation.

Kurtz credited the assistance of the town, Beekmantown School District and the City of Plattsburgh Empire Zone with making The Development Corp. site attractive to Nova Bus.

“It will be so exciting to watch the promise of this site come to fruition.”

Plattsburgh-North Country Chamber of Commerce President Garry Douglas pledged the chamber’s support if Nova Bus needs help in Albany or Washington or with workforce development.

He said the plant is a perfect fit for the chamber’s strategic visions. It means the North Country will be part of the success of numerous cities around the United States, Douglas said.

“We’re going to be making buses and trains here in Plattsburgh for decades to come.”



E-mail Dan Heath at:

dheath@pressrepublican.com

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