# New Flyer to Buy Motor Coach Industries



## rickycourtney (Nov 10, 2015)

From CBC: New Flyer buys Motor Coach Industries for $455M US

This seems like a logical move to me. New Flyer is the biggest transit bus builder in North America and MCI has seen a big portion of its business shift in recent years to building motorcoaches for transit agencies.


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## railiner (Nov 10, 2015)

Very interesting. I'm a bit surprised that the article didn't mention that MCI had its origins in Winnipeg, too....


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## Swadian Hardcore (Nov 10, 2015)

Go New Flyer! Might as well do it since MCI is so obsessed with transit buses now anyway.


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## rickycourtney (Nov 10, 2015)

Swadian Hardcore said:


> Go New Flyer! Might as well do it since MCI is so obsessed with transit buses now anyway.


You gotta go where the money is.For motorcoach builders... that's the transit sector.


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## Swadian Hardcore (Nov 11, 2015)

In that case, New Flyer should really purchase MCI ASAP. Perhaps they can make a better commuter coach that isn't as unwieldy as the D4500CT.


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## rickycourtney (Nov 15, 2015)

New Flyer purchased two other bus manufacturers, North American Bus Industries (NABI) and Orion in 2013, but the outcomes were very different.

New Flyer closed down Orion and in doing so, acquired the company's existing orders and aftermarket parts business.

New Flyer continued to run NABI as a separate brand until the final NABI bus rolled off the production line. Then NABI's Anniston, AL factory was completely retooled to become a third production line for New Flyer's Xcelsior bus.

In the case of MCI, New Flyer's CEO says they plan to operate the companies separately and no layoffs or plant closures are being contemplated. So expect an outcome more like NABI. That being said, I certainly expect there will be plenty of synergies that will help save money between the two companies (especially considering the headquarters for both companies are just across Winnipeg from each other).

I'm curious to see how hands on New Flyer will be with MCI. New Flyer has a great R&D team (IMHO, that's why the Xcelsior is the best transit bus on the road) and I'm also curious to see if the MCI brand will last or if it will change to New Flyer.


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## BCL (Nov 15, 2015)

rickycourtney said:


> New Flyer purchased two other bus manufacturers, North American Bus Industries (NABI) and Orion in 2013, but the outcomes were very different.
> 
> New Flyer closed down Orion and in doing so, acquired the company's existing orders and aftermarket parts business.
> 
> .


My reading is that Orion was already slated for a winding down of operations. Then New Flyer bought the assets and parts business along with the remaining orders.

http://transit.toronto.on.ca/bus/8509.shtml


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## rickycourtney (Nov 15, 2015)

BCL said:


> rickycourtney said:
> 
> 
> > My reading is that Orion was already slated for a winding down of operations. Then New Flyer bought the assets and parts business along with the remaining orders.
> ...


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## BCL (Nov 15, 2015)

rickycourtney said:


> BCL said:
> 
> 
> > rickycourtney said:
> ...


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## Swadian Hardcore (Nov 15, 2015)

Incidentally, Daimler also owns a 10% stake in MCI.

For the record, I left GTE after the stubborn fools failed to understand economics.

I do like the Xcelsior very much, but you have to admit the LFS is also pretty good. Gilligs and Orions seem inferior.


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## rickycourtney (Nov 20, 2015)

To be honest... I've never been a fan of the LFS. Granted, I've only ever rode on a handful of them while visiting Disney World, but I find the design to be awkward.

The one thing I couldn't get past is that there is a seat right behind the driver, before the wheel well. There was little legroom and it seems like that seat puts the driver in a compromised position. It would be too easy for someone to harm the driver while sitting there.


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## Caesar La Rock (Nov 20, 2015)

rickycourtney said:


> To be honest... I've never been a fan of the LFS. Granted, I've only ever rode on a handful of them while visiting Disney World, but I find the design to be awkward.
> 
> The one thing I couldn't get past is that there is a seat right behind the driver, before the wheel well. There was little legroom and it seems like that seat puts the driver in a compromised position. It would be too easy for someone to harm the driver while sitting there.


Lynx has some articulated Novas and they do pretty well. I usually sit in the back, where there is a rear window. Next year, we're getting 10 CNG New Flyers, which I'm not really too keen on. It has to do with the fact that the company has had issues with New Flyer in the past.


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