FORT VALLEY, Ga. — Blue Bird has taken actions to manage its business and ensure the continued financial health of the company during this temporary downturn in the global economy,” said Mike Horne, Executive Vice President for Blue Bird Corporation. These actions include some contract and salary employee headcount reduction and for February only, Blue Bird’s North Georgia manufacturing facility will be idle due to the current economic situation that has seen some delay in orders for school buses. The business is cyclical and this is a slow period of the year even in a stronger economy.
“We have 1,800 employees here in Fort Valley and everyone we have is important, so it is unfortunate to lose anyone,” reported Mike McCurdy, Vice President for Human Resources. McCurdy added that there’s a chance that some of the employees could be hired back when business picks up.
The layoffs will not affect plans for Blue Bird to add about 100 jobs in the next year as it moves fabrication work to a plant purchased last year. The plant is being renovated and is located just four miles from the main plant facilities in Fort Valley, Georgia.
