Daimler AG’s bus division awarded REV Coach LLC the North American sales rights to the Setra brand. Starting January 2018, REV will sell Setra motorcoaches in the U.S. and Canada. Visitors of the upcoming 2018 UMA Motorcoach EXPO in San Antonio will already find a Setra motorcoach at REV’s exhibition stand.
From July 1, 2018, REV Coach will also be responsible for Setra’s aftersales services. The strategic partners have agreed to jointly explore further opportunities in the North American market in the future. REV Coach succeeds coach manufacturer Motor Coach Industries International Inc. (MCI) as Daimler Buses’ general distributor in North America.
To guarantee a smooth transition process long-term partner MCI will remain in charge for aftersales business until June 29, 2018.
“Together with the REV Group, we will strive to further expand Setra’s market coverage, strengthen our performance, and further improve support to better serve our coach customers in the United States and Canada,” said Ulrich Bastert, head of marketing, sales, & customer services at Daimler Buses. “On this occasion it is important to me to also thank our previous partner MCI for their contribution to our coach business in North America. In particular, we thank MCI for being very cooperative during the entire transition process, although we decided to terminate the distribution rights agreement as the product ranges of both companies do not fit perfectly well with each other.”
Tim Sullivan, CEO/president of REV Group, commented: “We have enjoyed a long relationship as both a purchaser of chassis’ and vehicles and a supplier of truck components for many years but this new strategic partnership takes our relationship to a whole new level. As a start, we believe that adding the Setra motorcoach to the REV Group full line of buses will provide yet another first class entrée to our portfolio of transportation vehicles. This collaborative agreement provides for limitless transportation opportunities to explore in North America that we jointly believe will significantly enhance our overall market presence.”
Premiums remain elevated. Underwriting scrutiny is intense. And claims costs continue to rise at historic levels. Behind those numbers lies a complex mix of legal, medical, and cultural forces reshaping the commercial landscape.
The company said it has remained the most widely purchased model in the new coach market across the US and Canada, according to historical data from the Motorcoach Builders Survey conducted by the American Bus Association
A phased approach to technology, in-house capabilities, and workforce investment is helping transportation leaders break the reactive cycle and build more resilient, revenue-focused operations.
The company's flagship H3-45 is also the best-selling 45-foot motorcoach in North America, according to vehicle registration data from S&P Global Mobility (Polk).
METRO’s Executive Editor Alex Roman spoke with Mueller about the opening event, the company’s progress since launching in late 2022, and the road ahead.
METRO Executive Editor Alex Roman presented the award to the operation’s President/CEO Scott Parsons at the United Motorcoach Association’s EXPO in Birmingham, Alabama.
The new facility, spanning more than 43,000 square feet, includes pre-delivery inspection, a large repair, maintenance, and service center, an administrative building, and a dedicated training and delivery center for customers and service partners.
