The expansion insources transit bus part fabrication, centralizes the welding process, expands workspace for the administration team, and adds Calhoun County’s first and only dine-in cafeteria amongst all manufacturers.
Cody Hensleigh Photography
2 min to read
The expansion insources transit bus part fabrication, centralizes the welding process, expands workspace for the administration team, and adds Calhoun County’s first and only dine-in cafeteria amongst all manufacturers.
Cody Hensleigh Photography
New Flyer of America Inc. cut the ribbon on a $25 million renovation and expansion of its Anniston, Alabama advanced manufacturing facility.
The ribbon cutting opens an additional 76,000-square feet of space, bringing the total campus to nearly 400,000-square feet of advanced manufacturing capacity and completing site readiness for production of battery-electric transit buses. The expansion insources transit bus part fabrication, centralizes the welding process, expands workspace for the administration team, and adds Calhoun County’s first and only dine-in cafeteria amongst all manufacturers.
Ad Loading...
Continuous improvements were also completed throughout the existing plant to improve quality and supply management, and to increase American-sourced components for New Flyer’s transit buses.
“The investment in our Anniston facility furthers New Flyer’s commitment to American jobs and manufacturing, and reiterates our ability to build and deliver safe, reliable, and technologically advanced transit buses,” said Wayne Joseph, president of New Flyer of America.
New Flyer’s Xcelsior CHARGE™ zero-emission, battery electric demonstration transit bus, also built in Anniston, was onsite for the occasion. The event follows New Flyer’s late 2017 announcement to invest into the manufacturing facility, which preceded the opening of its Vehicle Innovation Center (VIC) in Anniston in October 2017.
The VIC is America’s first and only innovation lab dedicated to advancing bus and coach technology in the electric and autonomous space. Since opening, the VIC has welcomed over 1,000 industry visitors, including transit properties, regulator, media, suppliers, utility companies, and investors, and New Flyer further invested $5 million to develop electric bus programming and production capacity.
Joining New Flyer of America President Wayne Joseph in lending remarks were U.S. Senator Doug Jones, Anniston Mayor Jack Draper, Calhoun County Economic Development Council Executive Director Don Hopper, and more.
New Flyer
The expansion builds on New Flyer’s commitment to investing in American infrastructure, manufacturing, innovation, and jobs. Over the past year, jobs at its Anniston facility have grown by nearly 30% to over 750 people. New Flyer proudly employs more American workers than any bus manufacturer in North America.
The New Flyer of America Anniston campus, formerly North American Bus Industries, was acquired by New Flyer in 2013 and consists of five buildings on 36 acres. It manufactures transit buses from part fabrication to high-strength frame welding and final assembly. In 2015, New Flyer invested $20 million to transform the campus to a world-class LEAN manufacturing site capable of producing New Flyer’s Xcelsior® heavy-duty bus platform.
Ad Loading...
Combined with the $20 million invested in 2015 and $5 million spent on electric bus production upgrades and programming over the past year, the expansion marks a total $50 million invested in Anniston.
In this conversation, TBC’s Executive Director Ed Redfern, President Corey Aldridge, and Washington Representative Joel Rubin outline the coalition’s key policy priorities, the challenges facing transit agencies, and how industry stakeholders can work together to strengthen the voice of bus transit at the federal level.
Amanda Wanke, who has worked at DART for 10 years, including the past 2½ years as CEO, will join Metro Transit as deputy chief operating officer, operations administration.
In his first State of CDTA address as CEO, Frank Annicaro highlighted the organization’s continued focus on delivering reliable service, investing in innovation, and strengthening connections across the region.
The special episode features an exclusive interview with Mark Miller, president of Constellation Software Inc. and executive chairman of the Volaris Group, who reflects on the podcast's early vision and the importance of creating a platform where transit leaders can share ideas and learn from one another.
The CAD facility enables NFI to complete full domestic production of heavy-duty transit vehicles, including zero-emission buses, in Winnipeg for the first time in 15 years.
The findings provide clear evidence that sustained Federal investment in public transit and passenger rail delivers significant returns for workers, communities, taxpayers, and the U.S. economy, APTA officials said.
On a recent episode of METROspectives, METRO Magazine’s Executive Editor Alex Roman sat down with Ana-Maria Tomlinson, Director of Strategic & Cross-Sector Programs at the CSA Group, to explore a bold initiative aimed at addressing those challenges: the development of a National Code for Transit and Passenger Rail Systems in Canada.
