Australia’s leading chassis supplier, Volvo Bus, keeps racking up the wins taking out the BIC National Supplier of the Year award in Sydney this week
By David Goeldner | October 28, 2010
Volvo Bus has landed two major supplier awards inside a month, and three for the past year, taking back to back National Supplier of the Year Awards, and a recent NSW award.
To win the national award nominees must demonstrate continuous support for BIC and the state associations, participate in industry committees, and have over ten year’s involvement in the industry as a company or an individual.
Volvo Bus Australia General Manager David Mead says the company has always had a strong involvement with BIC and taken an active interest in the supply committees.
In accepting the award, Mead thanked BusNSW Executive Director Darryl Mellish and BusNSW for their nomination.
“We have a great working relationship with all of the states, but we have a special relationship with BusNSW,” Mead says.
“It is very humbling to be nominated and selected by our operator customers who have paid our team the ultimate compliment in nominating and selecting us for this award two years running.”
Mead also paid tribute to the team at Volvo Bus Australia.
“I am very proud and fortunate to work with a talented, passionate and committed team of people who enjoy being a part of the bus and coach industry.”
He says the Volvo Bus team enjoys working with each other and building relationships with customers.
“We take great pride in those relationships,” Mead says.
Volvo Bus continues to break chassis delivery records in Australia, and the domestic bus market has grown in importance for Volvo globally.
“It’s now the third largest bus market for Volvo and we are at levels we haven’t seen before,” he says.
Mead says the company’s results come from the five years of hard work.
“We are at a point where the product is the best it’s been in the Volvo B7RLE – we have a city bus that leads the industry in fuel efficiency and drive-ability.”
Mead says a contributing factor is the way Volvo is structured with its own distinct bus division.
“We’ve got a team and a structure that’s unique in Australia,” he says.
“We are the only larger corporation where bus sits as its own division with a team of 15 bus specialists.”
He says this allows Volvo Bus to focus on the bus industry and meet the particular needs of bus operators.
Mead says Volvo Bus will continue to invest in and train their dealers, continuing to put a focus on the life cycle cost of bus fleets and ensure that the product is right for the market.
Attending the award presentation with Mead was Volvo Bus’ Hong Kong-based Managing Director Simon Bath, along with many team members from Volvo’s Sydney office at Chullora.
Sponsored by ABC magazine, the award also included ‘boardroom-ready’ artwork depicting the Sydney Harbour Bridge.