Nova Bus, Volvo Group’s North American bus division, was awarded a five-year contract to supply replacement public transit buses for use in Monroe County, N.Y. by Regional Transit Service (RTS).

The contract calls for an initial base order of up to 15 diesel-fueled, 40-foot buses, with up to a total of 85 over the life of the contract. The new vehicles will be fully assembled in Nova Bus’ Plattsburgh plant, with first deliveries expected in 2019.

“We are delighted to welcome RTS among our new customers. Our presence in New York State is constantly growing, mainly due to the quality of our buses, as well as to the level of support our service department provides. We are also very proud to offer transit users in Monroe County, buses that are entirely assembled in New York State,” said Martin Larose, VP/GM of Nova Bus.

The order comes after a rigorous tendering process that included a visit to the Nova Bus manufacturing plant to better understand its assembly line and quality assurance processes. The assessment team was able to observe the quality of the product, the complexity of its design, its physical features, and the training and technical support Nova Bus provides customers, according to the company.