Anticipated several weeks ago, the Volgren-Ventura 38-bus contract deal was formerly announced at Dandenong earlier today
June 7, 2011
Bus body builder Volgren has entered into a contract with Ventura Bus Group to build 38 buses, Victoria’s Manufacturing, Exports and Trade Minister Richard Dalla-Riva announced at Dandenong today.
“Ventura Bus Group services 35 percent of Melbourne’s metropolitan bus routes and their decision to purchase locally-built buses instead of from interstate or internationally, demonstrates the high-quality of manufacturing work in Victoria,” Dalla-Riva says.
He says it also demonstrates that Volgren can effectively compete against imports.
“Volgren has achieved its success through its focus on innovation, especially in design, investing in new technologies and building its skills base,” says Dalla-Riva.
He says hundreds of additional casual staff has been employed at Volgren’s Dandenong plant to cope with the peak in demand.
Dalla-Riva says Volgren was the first bus manufacturing company in the world to successfully build an aluminium superstructure which led to the introduction of low-floor buses operating in NSW, Queensland and Western Australia.
“It is also the only bus manufacturer in Victoria and Australia’s largest bus body building company, employing more than 220 people in Victoria,” he says.
Until recently, Ventura had opted for NZ’s Designline bodies on predominantly Scania chassis.
Volgren’s senior management had anticipated the announcement several week’s ago, and believe that Ventura’s support will help fend off the perceived current influx of Asian-made buses.