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Bus Manufacturer In Plattsburgh Secures Largest Ever U.S. Contract

Nova Bus has announced its largest ever U.S contract — and the manufacturing will be completed at its plant in Plattsburgh.
Nova Bus Plattsburgh manufacturing plant Production Manager Peter Allen announced Friday morning that it has been awarded a major contract with the New York State MTA.   “We're proud to announce that one of the largest contracts in Nova Bus history is signed with the New York Metropolitan Authority. The awarded contract is for 165 40-foot hybrid buses with options for an additional 126 hybrid buses and 209 diesel buses for a total of a potential 500 buses. It's amazing for this.”

Nova Bus General Manager Greg Cody says the $132 million base order is one of the largest contracts the company has secured in the U.S.  “The first pilots will be delivered in May of this year 2020. The balance of the deliveries will begin in December of 2020 this year. The order should complete sometime in the year 2021. So it's a good long order and it'll be a good run for us. It is good news for New York state, since this new contract will create approximately 42 new jobs for Nova Bus here in Plattsburgh and additional jobs at our suppliers throughout the local area and New York state and the U.S.”

Democratic state Assemblyman D. Billy Jones called it an extraordinary announcement.  “This is a big deal. It creates jobs here. It creates jobs all around to our spin off companies, which creates a great economy here in the North Country. We keep doing it. We keep working at it and we'll continue to do it.”

Nova Bus is a Quebec-based company that is part of Plattsburgh’s transportation cluster.  Quebec Government Office in New York Director of Economic Affairs Sebastien Lanthier says the contract is an example of the strong economic ties between New York State and Quebec.  “What we have is really a transportation supercluster cross border with tremendous value to both economies. And Nova Bus success in the U.S. helps maintain quality jobs on both sides of the border. Our markets are tightly connected. Goods crisscross over the border adding value to our economies. We depend on each other for economic prosperity and global competitiveness. We have been clean energy partners for over a century and share the same urgent priorities for transitioning to a carbon neutral economy. Together we are a global powerhouse and we must continue to work together to keep the region prosperous and innovative.”

According to the North Country Chamber, 54 transportation equipment and aerospace companies employ 9,000 people in New York’s North Country.

 

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