Blue Bird sells its coach bus, motorhome lines

FORT VALLEY, Ga. — Blue Bird Corp. will sell its coach bus and recreational vehicle divisions — Blue Bird Coachworks and Wanderlodge — to Complete Coach Works of Riverside, Calif.

Blue Bird’s manufacturing facility in Fort Valley is included in the deal. Blue Bird officials said the sale is part of its long-term strategy to focus the company exclusively on the school bus market.

“This transaction represents an important step toward returning Blue Bird to its roots as the nation’s premier school bus manufacturer,” said Bob Shaughnessy, Blue Bird’s CEO.

The sale of Blue Bird’s remaining non-school bus lines represents a key element of its corporate strategy.

Earlier this fiscal year, Blue Bird’s transit bus products (Ultra LF and Xcel 102) became part of affiliated transit bus manufacturer North American Bus Industries Inc. (NABI) and their manufacture was moved to NABI’s Anniston, Ala., facilities.

The Blue Bird Coachworks line currently includes the 40- and 45-foot Express Commuter Coach models, while Blue Bird’s Wanderlodge line includes the 450LXi and M380 vehicles.

Complete Coach Works (CCW) is the nation's largest supplier of remanufactured transportation vehicles, repowers, emission upgrades and wheelchair lift retrofits. Dale Carson, CCW’s president and CEO, said the acquisition “represents a perfect fit and will provide an opportunity for the expansion of our operations to the Southeast.”