Ballymena bus manufacturer Wrightbus has acquired a bus refurbishment and repair firm in England.
The acquisition of RGI Bus & Coach Refurbishment in Warwickshire comes just weeks after the Co Antrim company announced the biggest deal in its 78-year history.
The £500 million contract with the Go Ahead Group involves the supply of around 1,000 mostly zero-emission buses over the next three years.
Based in Southam, just south of Coventry, RGI was set up in 2016 as a bus refurbishment operation.
It currently employs 13 people.
Wrightbus chief executive Jean-Marc Gales said the acquisition will enable the Ballymena business and its subsidiary NewPower to offer a complete suite of refurbishment options, from upholstery to metalwork, alongside its existing powertrain conversion operation.
“We are already selling buses across the UK and into Germany and Asia, and we want to ensure that we have services to maintain the entire life-cycle of the bus,” he said.
The deal, which was signed at the end of October, will see RGI owner Ross Cleaver join Wrightbus as head of repair and refurbishment UK.
“I have been following the incredible trajectory of Wrightbus since it was taken out of administration in 2019 and it’s clear that this is only just the beginning. I wanted to be a part of that continued success and so this deal was a no-brainer.
“Ever since I started RGI, our customers have been paramount. These same ethics and approach are shared by Wrightbus and I’m delighted to be involved in taking it to the next level.”
