Bus Firm Takes 'Wright Road To Asia'

The success of a local bus manufacturer that has just announced an Asian export deal worth £21m is being celebrated.

The export order won by the Wright Group will see the Co Antrim company deliver an additional 300 Double Deck bus 'kits' to SBS Transit for assembly in Singapore.

The company continues to take market share in the Asian market and the win comes on the back of an initial export order, won in tandem with Volvo Bus Corporation, for Ballymena's Wright Group to supply the bodywork for 150 new Double Deck buses in kit form to SBS Transit, announced last August.

"This is a hugely significant milestone for the Wright Group here in Singapore, in what has been a major project for the company, both in terms of scope and scale," said Wright Group Business Development Director Jonathan Poynton.

He explained that, as well as the design, and build in Northern Ireland of an initial prototype vehicle to provide a benchmark for local production, the project has also drawn upon our production management and logistics capabilities to produce and package completely knocked down (CKD) kits in Ballymena.

"These are then shipped across the globe, with local assembly workers trained to Wright Group quality standards by staff seconded from Ballymena," he said.

The first Wrightbus Double Deck bus officially entered service on the streets of Singapore this week and by the end of 2010 there will be 450 Wrightbus bodied Double Deck buses in service across Singapore.

The innovative company has had a strong 2010, focussing on a targeted strategy of innovation and export which is reaping dividends.

The Wright Group was recently awarded the contract to make the eco-friendly replacement for the iconic London Routemaster double decker.

Investment in its technology and innovation capabilities, supported by Invest NI, has led to contract orders worth over £7m with Mistral Group (UK) plc and Isle of Man Transport for their new midibus model - the Wrightbus StreetLite.

(BMcC/GK)