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Custom Coaches hiring in tough economic times

Despite a down turn in the economy on the back of the global credit crisis, New South Wales based bus

Despite a down turn in the economy on the back of the global credit crisis, New South Wales based bus manufacturer, Custom Coaches, is bucking the manufacturing trend by increasing production capacity to meet the State’s increasing public transport demands.

In addition to the orders Custom Coaches NSW already has with Leading Private Operators and State Transit, the local bus manufacturer is planning for additional capacity to meet any extra demands NSW faces.

“After carefully considering current economic pressures, fuel prices, congestion and increased patronage projections, Custom Coaches is planning to increase capacity by around 50 percent from our plant in Western Sydney,” says Custom Coaches CEO, Mark Burgess.

“In this uncertain economic climate, with growing social pressures, Custom Coaches has confidence in the future of NSW and has taken the opportunity to invest into the future transport needs of the state and the needs of the people of NSW.”

He says the investment in production capacity will see the Custom Coaches workforce expand to around 700, with a potential 150 new jobs created in NSW alone.

“These additional jobs would include bodybuilders, welders, spray-painters and auto-electricians, as well as a range of new apprenticeships on top of the 50 apprentices we already employ,” Burgess says.

“These new jobs at Custom Coaches will further stimulate the NSW job market, with potentially four times more jobs created according to local sub-suppliers with whom these plans have been discussed.

“Supporting this manufacturing expansion is a technology drive, with a host of planned capital investments,” he explains.

The first of these investments, in computer aided engineering programmes and automated manufacturing equipment, has been planned for some time and will be coming online by the end of 2008.

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