Volgren
A Transperth Volvo B8RLE with Volgren Optimus bodywork at Bull Creek railway station | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Bus manufacturing |
| Founded | 1977 |
| Headquarters | Dandenong |
Number of locations | Dandenong Malaga Eagle Farm |
Key people | Thiago Deiro (CEO) |
| Revenue | $207.1 million (June 2011) |
Number of employees | 560 (June 2011) |
| Parent | Marcopolo |
| Website | www.volgren.com.au |
Volgren is an Australian bus and coach brand headquartered in Dandenong it was first founded in 1977 by Grenda Corporation a bus operator from Melbourne.[1] Volgren used only chassis from Volvo because Grenda owned a Volvo buses dealership this continued until 1989 when the dealership was relinquished.[2]
The name Volgren is a mix of the names of the original investors which are Volvo and Grenda in December 2011 Marcopolo a Brazilian bus brand bought a 75% stake on the company.[3] then it increased to 100% in 2014.[4] making Volgren a subsidiary of Marcopolo.
Factories and Models
Factories
- Dandenong, Victoria (VG) completed Volgren's first bus in October 1979
- Malaga, Western Australia (VP) opened in April 1999 to fulfill a contract to body Mercedes-Benz O405NHs for Transperth
- Eagle Farm, Queensland (VQ) opened in February 2010
Former factories:
- Tomago, New South Wales (VT) opened in March 2010, closed July 2012
Models
City Buses
- Optimus
- CR228
- CR227
- CR226
- CR225
- CR224
- CR222
- CR221
Coaches
- Endura
- SC222
- SC221
Operators
Australia
- ComfortDelGro Australia
- Transdev Australasia
- Ventura Bus Lines
- Transperth
- Kinetic Group
Asia
- Hong Kong
- Kowloon Motor Bus formerly operated 1 Volvo B9TL, 17 MAN 24.310 HOCLNR-NLs and 21 Volvo Super Olympians.
- Citybus formerly operated 1 MAN 24.350 HOCLNR-NL and 1 Scania K94UB
- Singapore
- SBS Transit formerly operated 50 Volvo Super Olympians, a diesel powered Volvo B10BLE, a Scania L94UB, a Volvo Super Olympian prototype, a Mercedes-Benz O405G prototype, a Volvo B5RLEH and 12 CNG-powered Volvo B10BLEs.
- SMRT Buses formerly operated 15 Mercedes-Benz O405s, 11 Hino HS3KRKKs and a HS3KRKA, 2 Dennis Lances and 21 Mercedes-Benz O405Gs.
- Malaysia, a substantial number of buses were fitted with the Volgren bodywork as well. Examples can be found in the capital Kuala Lumpur, Shah Alam and Johor Bahru, state capital of Johor.
- Japan
- Nishi-Nippon Railroad bus, Toei Bus, Niigata Kotsu and Nara Kotsu currently operates Scania K360UA6×2/2LB with Optimus body. The body of these buses is 5 centimeters narrower than normal ones.
References
- ↑ Victorian Government Manufacturing Hall of Fame Volgren Australia Pty Ltd – 2006 Inductee Archived 4 July 2013 at the Wayback Machine Greater Dandenong
- ↑ "Industry News" Australian Bus Panorama 4/6 May 1989 page 5
- ↑ Volgren Press Release Archived 27 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine Volgren 13 December 2011
- ↑ Marcopolo acquires remaining stake in Volgren Australasia Bus & Coach 7 April 2017