DaimlerChrysler today announced a reorganization of its North American bus business, including its Thomas Built and Orion operations.
The reorganization places all the company’s North American commercial bus and coach brands within a new division, “DaimlerChrysler Commercial Buses North America.” The new division will be headquartered in Greensboro NC.
DaimlerChrysler Commercial Buses North America will consist of Setra highway coaches, Orion transit buses and selected Thomas Built commercial buses. Orion and Thomas Built commercial buses formerly were integrated under Freightliner LLC, DaimlerChrysler’s North American commercial vehicle division. The Thomas Built school bus business will remain within Freightliner LLC and will interact closely with the new commercial bus division.
"The reorganization of DaimlerChrysler’s commercial bus activities in North America will significantly enhance our ability to provide world-class products, service and support to our commercial bus and coach customers there,” said Wolfgang Diez, head of worldwide commercial bus activities within DaimlerChrysler.
In other changes, the Thomas CL and SLF series will now fall under the Orion brand. Selected Thomas Bus dealers will support sales activities of the Orion CL and SLF series. As in the past, transit buses and highway coaches will be sold directly to the end customer.
Current production locations for Orion and Thomas Built commercial buses are in Greensboro, N.C., Oriskany, N.Y. and Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Setra coaches are imported from Germany.
DaimlerChrysler manufacturers about 40,000 chassis and complete buses annually for a combined turnover, generating $4 billion. Major production facilities are located in Germany, Turkey, Brazil, Mexico, United States, Canada, Indonesia and China.