Thomas Built Buses recently announced it invested $2 million in manufacturing equipment that has helped with the company’s growth as well as create some jobs at the High Point, N.C., facility.
The equipment is a 1,500-ton press the company began using it in January. It is used for making parts including roofs, floor sheets and exterior panels for the new C2. Tim Turner, manufacturing engineer for Thomas Built Buses, said the new press is a step up from the previous 250-pound press.
“Quite a step up from our older 250-ton press, this new piece of machinery has a bed size of 84 inches by 159 inches and carries around 1,800 gallons of hydraulic fluid,” said Tim Turner, manufacturing engineer for Thomas Built Buses. “It sits 12 feet beneath the ground and extends an additional 22 feet above the manufacturing floor. It is definitely something that you have to see.”
In other TBB news, the company also recently announced its top dealers for 2012 at its annual dealer meeting in Orlando. The Dealer of the Year award went to The Bus Centre in Acheson, Alberta, Canada. Thomas Built President and CEO Kelly Platt presented the award to General Manager Tim Bearchell.
At the same event, gold, silver and bronze awards for dealership excellence were presented to selected dealers in recognition of outstanding performance in service, parts support and bus sales.
Winners include:
Regional Winners
Autobus Thomas, Inc. – Drummondville, Quebec (Northeast Region)
Carolina Thomas, LLC – Greensboro, NC (Southeast Region)
Hoekstra Transportation, Inc. – Grand Rapids, MI (Midwest Region)
Omaha Truck Center, Inc. – Omaha, NE (Central Region)
The Bus Centre – Acheson, Alberta (Western Region)
Gold Club
American Bus Sales and Service, Inc. – Annapolis, MD
Autobus Thomas, Inc. – Drummondville, Quebec
Carolina Thomas, LLC – Greensboro, NC
Hoekstra Transportation, Inc. – Grand Rapids, MI
Kerlin Bus Sales and Leasing, Inc. – Silver Lake, IN
Mid-South Bus Center, Inc. – Murfreesboro, TN
Midwest Bus Sales, Inc. KS/MO – Bonner Springs, KS
Nelson’s Bus Service, Inc. – Whitewater, WI
Nesco Bus and Truck Sales, Inc. – Bay Shore, NY
New England Transit Sales, Inc. – Tyngsboro, MA
Omaha Truck Center, Inc. – Omaha, NE
Perry Rand Transportation Group, LTD. – Watersville, Nova Scotia
Rohrer Bus Sales – Duncannon, PA – Duncannon, PA
Sonny Merryman, Inc. – Evington, VA
The Bus Centre – Acheson, Alberta
W.C. Cressey and Son, Inc. – Kennebunk, ME
Western Mountain Bus Sales, Inc. – Nampa, ID
Whayne Supply Company – Louisville, KY
Silver Club:
BusWest – Carson, CA
H.A. Dehart & Son, Inc. – Thorofare, NJ
Interstate Transportation Equipment, Inc. – Hopkins, SC
Lewis Bus Group – Salt Lake City, UT
Matthews Buses, Inc. – Dansville, NY
Matthews Buses, Inc. FL – Orlando, FL
Midwest Bus Sales, Inc. OK – El Reno, OK
Thomas Bus Gulf Coast GP, Inc. – Houston, TX
Transportation South, Inc. – Pelham, AL
Transwest Trucks, Inc. – Grand Junction, CO
Bronze Club:
IState Truck Center – Billings, MT
Matheny Motor Truck Co. – Parkersburg, WV
Midwest Bus Sales, Inc. IL – Princeton, IL
Thomas Bus Sales, Inc. – Des Moines, IA
Trucks of Bismarck, Inc – Bismarck, ND
Warner Industries – Regina, Saskatchewan
