Very thorough post there Gilmoss 0324! Really good to read that.
Worth remembering too that TransBus International had a similar fate back in 2004 and if you now look at Alexander Dennis they are the strongest bus manufacturer in the UK so you can come back from 'the dead' so to speak. Maybe with a totally different management Wrightbus could do similar.
Also of note, ADL did have a factory in Ireland, the Alexander Belfast one, which lasted to around 2006 I believe so it is interesting that some say one reason ADL sales are poor in Ireland is due to it having less of a service network etc but they must have had something up to that point if they were still building ALX400s over there then.
Wrightbus : a Eulogy (by E.J.Thribb, aged 14)
So, Farewell Wrightbus,
You gave us the Borismaster
And the Streetlite,
But Keith's Mum says
That neither was the right bus.
(With apologies to older readers of Private Eye)
(26/09/2019 13:06)buses7675 Wrote: [ -> ]Very thorough post there Gilmoss 0324! Really good to read that.
Worth remembering too that TransBus International had a similar fate back in 2004 and if you now look at Alexander Dennis they are the strongest bus manufacturer in the UK so you can come back from 'the dead' so to speak. Maybe with a totally different management Wrightbus could do similar.
Also of note, ADL did have a factory in Ireland, the Alexander Belfast one, which lasted to around 2006 I believe so it is interesting that some say one reason ADL sales are poor in Ireland is due to it having less of a service network etc but they must have had something up to that point if they were still building ALX400s over there then.
Thanks Steve.
Yeah know it was a long post but pretty much it's how I've seen Wright lose it's way recently. I hope like Optare and as you mention Transbus/ADL they can find some way to survive even if it means Wrightbus as such becomes a part of another company. This might mean Wrightbus is no more but if it keeps the business and jobs in Ballymena then great.
If Wright can survive I think they need to re-think the product range and improve the quality. What they may need to do is simply go back to being a body on chassis maker although even for ADL things have moved more integral these days and Optare have been down that route for a long time. It's not as simple as it was in the 90's for operators to specify a Dart, B10B or Olympian on different manufacturers bodies these days.
Not sure if BYD or BCI may be the best partners to achieve this unless they want to nick some Wright designs/ideas but it's not impossible that Optare or ADL could enter the ring in order to have increased capacity from Ballymena for their designs. ADL particularly could use that as a means to target the Irish market again - interesting that Dublin Bus are looking over the Enviro400 NMC Hybrid at the moment too.
The factory is apparently the reason why some of the interested parties pulled out of deals, its own separately by a member of the Wright's family and isn't part of Wrightbus it's self, he wishes to retain the factory and charge rental and this is putting buyers off, a report on this was on the BBC Red Button Section yesterday under the Northern Ireland section, this was the primary reason why the trailer manufacturer that was interested walked away. So unless someone can get the moulds to the double-decker it seams like the rest of the business might be a waste of time as the factory itself will be further cost on top of the deal.
Obviously the double-decker machine toolings might attract a buyer in China but I guess thats life, it is rather a hame as at one time Wrightbus was top of the pack and there products where superbly better than everyone elses back in the days of Volvo and Scania bodies being built.
According to the Wright's family, and BBC Northern Ireland there are still negotiations ongoing despite the company being placed into administration, the rent issue was one issue as Jeff Wright who owns the factory wants £1m a year just in rent which seems extortionate when the factory could probably just be bought for around £15m. Obviously they want to retain ownership so if the company does go under they can mothball it until the market around Ballymena picks up and then sell the factory site for housing or other industrial units.
Also surprisingly the administration does not effect Nu-Track which is registered seperately and will continue to manufacturer buses under Wright family ownership, perhaps this is a company, which if Wrightbus is completely closed can be used to reintroduce the range when market conditions return.
Separately, and something I do not condone, is that the Wright family have received death threats over the course of the weekend.
There is further news here that looks to be positive, Five bidders are now interested to buy the company from administrators Deloitte, They have been asked to submit bids over this weekend, with options including returning to the previous factory site and ditching the current factory which is over size. So more news perhaps next week.
Separately Delaine of Bourne has said they may have problems sourcing new buses if the company closes altogether, they would look at Alexander Dennis but believes others would as well too, and small company orders would struggle to get slots in manufacturing schedules.
The Times reports this morning that Jo Bamford, son of Lord Bamford the JCB diggers billionaire, is the likely buyer of Wrightbus.
Mr.Bamford set up the company Ryse Hydrogen two years ago to produce hydrogen for buses, Transport for London have awarded them and Wrightbus a £12M contract to convert 20 buses to zero emission hydrogen fuelled vehicles.
Sounds feasible and promising.
(10/10/2019 13:43)EDB325 Wrote: [ -> ]The Times reports this morning that Jo Bamford, son of Lord Bamford the JCB diggers billionaire, is the likely buyer of Wrightbus.
Mr.Bamford set up the company Ryse Hydrogen two years ago to produce hydrogen for buses, Transport for London have awarded them and Wrightbus a £12M contract to convert 20 buses to zero emission hydrogen fuelled vehicles.
Sounds feasible and promising.
Just read something saying the deal has fallen trough apparently also whilst we’re on the subject of Wrightbus is it known how many vehicles were suppose to be built for outstanding orders
(10/10/2019 14:01)darylyates17 Wrote: [ -> ]Just read something saying the deal has fallen trough apparently also whilst we’re on the subject of Wrightbus is it known how many vehicles were suppose to be built for outstanding orders
Yep that's correct, it is again over ownership of the factory that has caused the deal to collapse, unless talks can resume before tomorrow it looks like the liquidation process will begin in the morning, so really will be the end of Wrightbus.
This might be of interest
https://inews.co.uk/news/business/wright...pse-700016