Interior of ARBOC's new Spirit of Liberty bus which will be produced in 2014.
Arboc Specialty Vehicles has grown substantially in roughly four years.
And with its latest announcement, the company that began with five men and a dream expects to grow even more.
Arboc Specialty Vehicles, now with 100 employees, recently announced it will expand its product offerings through a partnership with Freightliner Custom Chassis out of Gaffney, S.C., on the co-development of a low-floor rear engine custom chassis.
The first vehicle to utilize the new chassis will be Arboc's new Spirit of Liberty product line. The new line is on display this week at the American Public Transportation Association show in Indianapolis.
The new bus will feature a low floor with no steps inside from front to rear with a ramp entry.
"There will be no steps over the rear axle," said Don Roberts, president and chief executive officer for Arboc. "It's the first time there's ever been a true flat floor from entrance to the back of the bus."
The company plans to build the new bus in lengths of 28, 30 and 33 feet. The bus will seat as many as 37 passengers, and there also will be space for up to six wheelchairs.
Like the Spirit of Mobility and the Spirit of Freedom, which already have resulted in the production of 1,400 units, the Spirit of Liberty features an entrance that wheelchairs can roll up, rather than utilizing a lift, as some competitors do. That feature, along with a wide door, also allows loading and unloading to take place in a timely fashion.
And like its Arboc counterparts, Roberts expects the Spirit of Liberty to be in demand nationwide and in Canada.
Arboc decided to partner with Freightliner to develop the chassis because of the company's expertise. "They have service centers, they have parts, they have warranties. They have everything set up," Roberts said. "That actually told us we were better off partnering with them to build them than we were to build them ourselves."
Roberts said the arrangement will allow Arboc to focus on what it does best, putting a body on a chassis. "We will bring it in (to the plant) ready. All we do is add our body. That's going to significantly change the way we do business."
John Walsh, vice president of sales and marketing for Arboc, calls the Spirit of Liberty a "game-changer" for a number of reasons.
"There's not a bus like this out there in its category for size, capacity or price," Walsh said. From a cost standpoint alone, it is about $100,000 cheaper at $250,000, he said, than competitors.
It's also safer than vehicles that use lifts to help elevate wheelchair riders onto a bus, he said, and for people who use walkers.
And Roberts expects anywhere from 25 to 30 additions to the work force, possibly more in 2014 when the company begins producing the Spirit of Liberty.
And additional products will be coming, he said.
"It's the one way you can stay ahead is to keep developing new and fresh ideas," he said. "And that's what we're very good at."
The Spirit of Mobility and Spirit of Freedom are already used in places such as Houston, Dallas and Kalamazoo, as well as in British Columbia, Canada.
As many as 500 of those two models will be made this year.
Companies are already wanting to know how they can purchase the Spirit of Liberty.
"This meeting in Indianapolis will be very big for us," Roberts said, noting people are coming from as far away as the state of Washington and Canada to see it firsthand.
He foresees making as many as 600 to 700 total units per year of all three models in the near future.
It's all a far cry from the 33 Spirit of Mobility buses made in the first year.
"Three and a half years of having nobody knowing who you were or what Arboc was to today has just been remarkable," Roberts said. "Five guys started this. We didn't have any money, just a dream. It's a pretty nice little company now."
And with its latest announcement, the company that began with five men and a dream expects to grow even more.
Arboc Specialty Vehicles, now with 100 employees, recently announced it will expand its product offerings through a partnership with Freightliner Custom Chassis out of Gaffney, S.C., on the co-development of a low-floor rear engine custom chassis.
The first vehicle to utilize the new chassis will be Arboc's new Spirit of Liberty product line. The new line is on display this week at the American Public Transportation Association show in Indianapolis.
The new bus will feature a low floor with no steps inside from front to rear with a ramp entry.
"There will be no steps over the rear axle," said Don Roberts, president and chief executive officer for Arboc. "It's the first time there's ever been a true flat floor from entrance to the back of the bus."
The company plans to build the new bus in lengths of 28, 30 and 33 feet. The bus will seat as many as 37 passengers, and there also will be space for up to six wheelchairs.
Like the Spirit of Mobility and the Spirit of Freedom, which already have resulted in the production of 1,400 units, the Spirit of Liberty features an entrance that wheelchairs can roll up, rather than utilizing a lift, as some competitors do. That feature, along with a wide door, also allows loading and unloading to take place in a timely fashion.
And like its Arboc counterparts, Roberts expects the Spirit of Liberty to be in demand nationwide and in Canada.
Arboc decided to partner with Freightliner to develop the chassis because of the company's expertise. "They have service centers, they have parts, they have warranties. They have everything set up," Roberts said. "That actually told us we were better off partnering with them to build them than we were to build them ourselves."
Roberts said the arrangement will allow Arboc to focus on what it does best, putting a body on a chassis. "We will bring it in (to the plant) ready. All we do is add our body. That's going to significantly change the way we do business."
John Walsh, vice president of sales and marketing for Arboc, calls the Spirit of Liberty a "game-changer" for a number of reasons.
"There's not a bus like this out there in its category for size, capacity or price," Walsh said. From a cost standpoint alone, it is about $100,000 cheaper at $250,000, he said, than competitors.
It's also safer than vehicles that use lifts to help elevate wheelchair riders onto a bus, he said, and for people who use walkers.
And Roberts expects anywhere from 25 to 30 additions to the work force, possibly more in 2014 when the company begins producing the Spirit of Liberty.
And additional products will be coming, he said.
"It's the one way you can stay ahead is to keep developing new and fresh ideas," he said. "And that's what we're very good at."
The Spirit of Mobility and Spirit of Freedom are already used in places such as Houston, Dallas and Kalamazoo, as well as in British Columbia, Canada.
As many as 500 of those two models will be made this year.
Companies are already wanting to know how they can purchase the Spirit of Liberty.
"This meeting in Indianapolis will be very big for us," Roberts said, noting people are coming from as far away as the state of Washington and Canada to see it firsthand.
He foresees making as many as 600 to 700 total units per year of all three models in the near future.
It's all a far cry from the 33 Spirit of Mobility buses made in the first year.
"Three and a half years of having nobody knowing who you were or what Arboc was to today has just been remarkable," Roberts said. "Five guys started this. We didn't have any money, just a dream. It's a pretty nice little company now."
Source : South Bend Tribune , 6th May 2013
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