IC Bus

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2009)

IC Bus

Type	Public
Predecessor	AmTran (American Transportation Corporation) Ward Body Works
Founded	2002
Headquarters	4201 Winfield Road Warrenville, Illinois 60555
Number of locations	2 Tulsa, Oklahoma (assembly) Conway, Arkansas (assembly; closing in 2010)
Area served	North America
Key people	John McKinney, President
Industry	Manufacturing (Transportation vehicles)
Products	School Buses Commericial Buses
Parent	Navistar International
Website	ICBus.com

IC Bus (formerly IC Corporation)^[1] is a builder of school buses in the United States. Founded in 2002, the company traces its roots back to Ward Body Works, which was established in 1933. IC produces bus bodies on International chassis, as it is a wholly owned subsidiary of Navistar International Corporation. IC is an acronym for Integrated Coach, which alludes to the fact that the body, chassis, and engine are all built within the same corporate structure.

[edit] History

[edit] Ward Body Works (1933-1979)

D. H. "Dave" Ward founded Ward in Conway, Arkansas in 1933 when he "lowered the roof of a wooden bus for Mr. Carl Brady of the Southside Schools". Southside Schools were located about 15 miles north of Conway. In the 1930s, Ward Body Works produced its first all-metal body bus. In the 1960s, Ward School Bus Manufacturing, Inc. was responsible for many notable innovations including use of computers in manufacturing (using IBM 360s), safety advances, and manufacturing process improvements. In the 1970s, Ward opened an assembly facility in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, but this plant was closed in 1975.

[edit] American Transportation Corporation (1980-2002)

In 1979, Ward Industries filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Arkansas Governor William J. Clinton was instrumental in putting together a group that bought the assets of Ward Industries. In 1980, the American Transportation Corporation was formed. In 1981, American Transportation Corporation began doing business as AmTran Corporation. However, the buses were still marketed with the "Ward" brand name throughout the 1980s, until 1992.

In 1983, Harmon Brothers, a mid-western based school bus contractor and dealership organization, purchased controlling interest of AmTran. In 1991 Navistar International purchased one-third interest in AmTran Corporation. The action was initiated by Jerry Williams, AmTran's CEO. Navistar also obtained an option to allow them to buy remaining two-thirds stock by April 1995. An era of mergers and acquisitions among chassis and bus body manufacturers was thus begun. Navistar exercised the option on remaining American Transportation Corporation stock and completed the purchase in 1995.

In 1999, AmTran announced plans to build a new facility in Tulsa, Oklahoma that would employ 1200 people. The conventional buses would be built at the new facility, but the Conway, Arkansas facility would continue to produce the rear engine and front engine models.

[edit] IC Corporation/IC Bus (2002-present)

In 2000, AmTran introduced the IC, a fully integrated conventional school bus. The first models were badged "AmTran", although within a short time, the buses were badged "International" with the company taking on the identity "International Truck and Bus" from late 2000 to 2001 model years. For 2002, the company's name changed yet again to IC Corporation and the new conventional bus was re-introduced as the IC CE.

On January 11, 2008, IC Bus announced a layoff of about 300 employees at the Conway, Arkansas Bus Plant. ^[2] This was just under the maximum number of employees that could be laid off in Conway without the company violating the WARN Act, which requires employers to give 60 days notice of a mass layoff or plant closing. In addition to the layoffs, the company also announced a 50 percent reduction in bus production at the Conway plant. IC Corp officials cited a lack of new orders as the reason for the layoffs. However,the company had recently announced increased production at the plant in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This stoked fears in Conway that the company was planning to shut down the plant in the near future and move all production to the newer, and non-union, Tulsa plant.

On November 5, 2009, IC Bus announced that its Conway plant will no longer assemble buses after January 18, 2010, projecting elimination of 477 jobs. The Conway facilities will serve as fabrication shops and will manufacture parts, but will no longer produce complete buses. The company cited low demand by school districts and contractors during the recessionary economic climate in the United States. ^[3] "We have to consolidate our bus-assembly operations into one facility," Navistar spokesman Roy Wiley said. "Unfortunately for Conway, Tulsa is a much newer facility." ^[4]

[edit] Current products

[edit] School buses

IC School Buses

Model Name		Year Introduced	Chassis	Powertrain	Notes
IC BE (200-series)		2005	International	VT365 MaxxForce 7	Apart from its smaller size, the BE differs from the CE with its standard flat-floor interior. The BE is marketed primarily towards buyers who transport special-needs students (competing against Type A buses)
IC CE (200 and 300-series)		2002	International 3800 (2002-2004) International 3300 (2005-present)	T444E DT466E VT365 MaxxForce 7 MaxxForce DT	The CE is the basis for IC's diesel-electric hybrid bus. Charge-sustaining and charge-depleting hybrid options are offered.
IC FE (300-series)		1990	International 3900	DT466E MaxxForce DT	The IC FE was introduced in 1990 as the Ward Senator with gradual updates over time.
IC RE (200 and 300-series)		1996	International 3000	T444E DT466E VT365 MaxxForce 7 MaxxForce DT	The IC RE was introduced in 1996 as the AmTran RE with a major interior redesign in 2000.

Model Designations

• 200=V8 diesel engine (i.e., T444E, VT365, and MaxxForce 7)
• 300=inline-6 diesel engine (i.e., DT466, Maxxforce DT)

[edit] Forward Advantage Prototype

The IC FE Forward Advantage was a school bus prototype built by IC in 2008 as a testbed of a "flat-floor" design in the stepwell due to the compact design of the Caterpillar C7 engine. It also included some front-end styling modifications influenced by the severe-service line of International trucks. As Caterpillar has withdrawn from producing diesel engines for the school bus market, the Forward Advantage will not see production in its current form since its design was tailored to the Caterpillar engine.

[edit] Hybrid diesel-electric buses

A hybrid electric school bus is currently being worked on for production and 11 have already been delivered to schools across the United States. The buses provide about 40% better mpg but cost about two and a half times more than a standard diesel bus ($210,000 versus $80,000). Mass production is likely but depends on the reactions of the schools currently using the buses and if demand is high enough.^[5]

Enova Systems ^[6] has entered into a long-term supply agreement with IC Bus^[7] that guarantees that Enova’s proprietary Post Transmission Parallel Hybrid Electric drive system will be used in IC Bus’ hybrid electric school buses. The hybrid school bus project features Enova’s charge depleting (or “plug-in”) or charge sustaining systems. The drivetrain is powered by Valence Technology lithium ion phosphate battery modules.

IC Bus has delivered a charge depleting bus to the New Britain Public Schools. ^[8]

[edit] Commercial buses

IC offers commercial deriviatives of all 4 of its school bus models, as well as 2 distinct models.

[edit] Historical products

[edit] AmTran (American Transportation Corporation)

American Transporation Corporation (AmTran)

Former type	Subsidiary of Navistar International (1991-2002)
Predecessor	Ward Body Works
Successor	IC Corporation
Founded	1980
Defunct	2002
Headquarters	Conway, Arkansas
Area served	North America
Industry	Transportation
Products	School Buses Commercial Buses
Parent	Navistar International (1991-2002)

AmTran RE

In 1991, Navistar initiated its acquisition of AmTran. A year later, the Ward brand name was phased out as part of a new marketing scheme. In terms of product, AmTran retained the Vanguard and the Volunteer lines. The recently-introduced Senator was given a facelift and re-introduced as the Genesis. The Patriot was not carried over partly due to slow sales and also because of its GM-sourced chassis; the Coachette Type B had been dropped in the 1980s.

Limited Chassis Availability

As AmTran was now a part of Navistar, the International-chassis buses were marketed more aggressively than their other products. In 1992, General Motors dropped its B-series chassis (as part of a deal with Blue Bird); although the Ford B700 was an option, it was rarely ordered and it was phased out after 1998. The slow-selling Vanguard was dropped at the end of 1996 so AmTran could concentrate on its full-size buses.

Introductions and Changes

1996

• After not producing a rear engine Type D school bus since the early 1970s, AmTran introduced the AmTran RE in 1996; it was branded an AmTran, not Genesis.
• The Genesis was updated, moving the entry door closer to the front bumper; its roof decals were switched to the AmTran brand from Genesis.

1997

The Volunteer was re-branded the CS after receiving a new front body design that replaced the Ward control panels, windshield, and entry door.

1998

• The Genesis was renamed the AmTran FE after a front-end redesign; the grille shrunk in size and the quad headlights were replaced with ones shared with the CS and RE.

2000

• The CS received an updated hood design (still based on the Navistar 3800) and was renamed the AmTran IC.
• The RE received a redesigned dashboard and interior control panels for improved ergonomics.

Product Lineup

AmTran products continue to be supported by IC Corporation's network of dealers across America, which are comprised mostly of International Truck and Engine Corporation dealers.

[edit] Ward Body Works

Ward Body Works

Fate	Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
Successor	American Transportation Corporation (AmTran)
Founded	1933
Founder(s)	D.H. Ward
Defunct	1979 Ward brand operated by successor AmTran from 1980-1992.
Headquarters	Conway, Arkansas
Number of locations	2 (Conway, Arkansas and Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania)
Area served	North America
Industry	Transportation
Products	School Buses Commercial Buses

Ward Volunteer

In 1976, Ward built a prototype Type D transit school and commercial bus on an International Harvester chassis with front-wheel drive and tandem rear tag axles. It did not enter production.

[edit] See also

• AmTran - corporate predecessor
• Advanced Energy
• Navistar International - parent company

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• ICBus.com - official company web site