New Flyer Industries Inc. is a Canadian multinational automotive company specializing in the manufacturing of heavy-duty transit buses and motorcoaches and the distribution of aftermarket parts. The company headquarters are in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and it has manufacturing, distribution and service centers in both Canada and the United States. New Flyer manufactures integral buses, building both the coachwork and the supporting chassis. The company currently sells vehicles under three brands: New Flyer Xcelsior transit buses, offered with various drive systems and in several lengths; its own Motor Coach Industries (MCI) D-Series and J-Series, and Daimler's Setra S407 and S417 motor coaches.
It is the largest bus and coach manufacturer and distributor in North America and employs approximately 5,400 people at more than a dozen facilities. The Company had a 45% market share of all heavy-duty transit buses and a 39% market share of all motorcoaches produced for North America in 2016. New Flyer is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol NFI, and is a constituent of the S&P/TSX Composite Index.
President and Chief Executive Officer Paul Soubry joined the company in 2009. In 2016 he was named CEO of the Year in Canada by National Post.
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History
Early years
New Flyer was founded by John Coval in 1930 as the Western Auto and Truck Body Works Ltd. Reflecting an increased focus on bus manufacturing, it changed its name in 1948 to Western Flyer Coach.
In the 1960s, the company further focused on the urban transit bus market. In 1971, the then-financially struggling Western Flyer was sold to the Manitoba Development Corporation, an agency of the Manitoba government, and renamed Flyer Industries Limited.
On July 15, 1986, Jan den Oudsten, a descendant of the family who created the Dutch company Den Oudsten Bussen BV, purchased Flyer Industries from the Manitoba government, changing its name to New Flyer Industries Limited. Den Oudsten Bussen B.V was a bus manufacturer in its native country, the Netherlands.
A "new" beginning
Under new leadership, New Flyer developed, tested, and introduced several innovative designs. The company designed and tested North America's first low-floor bus in 1988 and delivered the first production model, called the D40LF, to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in 1991. In 1994, New Flyer delivered the first compressed natural gas bus in North America and the world's first hydrogen fuel cell powered bus. In 1995, the company delivered the first low-floor articulated bus in North America to Strathcona County Transit.
In March 2002, New Flyer was acquired by KPS Capital Partners, an investment company that specializes in turning around struggling businesses. Later that year Jan den Oudsten retired as CEO. He was later inducted into the American Public Transportation Association's Hall of Fame for his work at the company.
In 2003, King County Metro in Seattle placed an order for 213 hybrid buses, the world's first large order for hybrid buses.
On December 15, 2013, New Flyer was purchased by private equity firms, Harvest Partners and Lightyear Capital. The company's CEO, John Marinucci, called the purchase an indicator that the company's operational and financial turnaround had been accomplished. On August 19, 2005, New Flyer became a publicly traded company on the Toronto Stock Exchange.
2005 also saw a restyling of New Flyer's popular low-floor coaches with new front and rear endcaps, to modernize and streamline the exterior appearance of the bus.
In October 2008, New Flyer was named one of Canada's Top 100 Employers, which was announced in The Globe and Mail newspaper, and the company was featured in Maclean's newsmagazine. Later that month, New Flyer was also named one of Manitoba's Top Employers, which was announced by the Winnipeg Free Press newspaper.
The company converted to a corporate structure from a trust-like structure in October 2011.
In May 2012, New Flyer and Alexander Dennis Limited announced a joint-venture to design and manufacture medium-duty low-floor bus (or midi bus) for the North American market. The bus, called the New Flyer MiDi was based on the design of the Alexander Dennis Enviro200. Alexander Dennis engineered and tested the bus, and it was built and marketed by New Flyer under contract. During the partnership around 200 buses were delivered to 22 operators in Canada and US. In May 2017, New Flyer and Alexander Dennis announced their joint-venture would end and production of the bus would transition to Alexander Dennis' new North American factory in Indiana where it will be produced alongside the double-deck Enviro500 series bus.
In June 2012 New Flyer, in a joint venture with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, the Manitoba Government, Manitoba Hydro and Red River College, unveiled a fully electric battery-powered bus.
Brazilian bus manufacturer Marcopolo S.A. acquired a 19.99% stake of New Flyer on January 23, 2013 for $116 million, the maximum it could acquire without offering to buy out other shareholders.
As competing manufacturer Daimler exited the North American market, New Flyer purchased the aftermarket parts business for its Orion brand of heavy-duty transit buses for $29 million. New Flyer also agreed to take on two outstanding bus manufacturing contracts for New York City Transit and the other for King County Metro in Seattle (giving New Flyer a total of 194 firm bus orders and options for an additional 291 buses). Under the agreement, New Flyer acquired the Orion parts inventory, the company's accounts, license to use proprietary part designs and agreed to provide parts for customer warranty support.
On June 21, 2013, New Flyer agreed to acquire competing heavy-duty transit bus manufacturer, North American Bus Industries (NABI). Upon completion of NABI's outstanding orders, New Flyer converted the former NABI factory in Anniston, AL into a fourth facility to produce the Xcelsior heavy-duty transit bus.
In November 10, 2015, New Flyer agreed to acquire motorcoach manufacturer, Motor Coach Industries from KPS Capital Partners for $459 million USD, with the deal closing on December 18, 2015.
On September 22, 2016, Marcopolo S.A. reduced its stake in New Flyer to 10.8%, although it remains the largest individual shareholder.
Bus models
Model designations
Current New Flyer model numbers are composed of a model code, a power source code and the length of the bus. Note that not all possible combinations have been offered.
Current production
Discontinued models
Source: New Flyer Industries Inc.
Facilities
Manufacturing Facilities
New Flyer operates four facilities where new transit buses are manufactured.
- Winnipeg, MB
- Crookston, MN
- St. Cloud, MN
- Anniston, AL
Of these facilities, the Winnipeg, St. Cloud, and Anniston facilities have full production capability. The Crookston facility performs final assembly on buses from shells that are shipped from Winnipeg.
Parts Distribution Centers
New Flyer operates five facilities that distribute parts to customers. Some of these parts are built by New Flyer and some are OEM parts, built by other companies. The centers are geographically spread out to offer ground delivery service within two-days to all of the US and Canada. These facilities also provide parts for both Orion and NABI buses, after New Flyer purchased NABI and acquired the Orion parts business from Daimler in 2013.
- Winnipeg, MB
- Brampton, ON
- Hebron, KY
- Fresno, CA
- Delaware, OH
Bus Component Fabrication
New Flyer operates three facilities that fabricate the components used to build buses. TCB Industries is a wholly owned subsidiary that makes components for both New Flyer and other manufacturers.
- Winnipeg, MB
- Jamestown, NY
- TCB Industries - Elkhart, IN
Service Centers
New Flyer service centers are typically located in regions with the companies biggest customers. For these customers, New Flyer performs final assembly, pre-delivery inspection, acceptance, and training services for new buses. The Arnprior center also offers maintenance services for any make and model, including mid-life overhauls and collision repair.
- Arnprior, ON
- Ontario, CA
- Renton, WA
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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