My reaction when you posted it was also a bit incredulous.
I guess most of us who read/post here do so continuously, and not just here. So,
the many, many posts with greater detail that have been placed here and
elsewhere over the past three months made this one a "Huh??" moment.
The author of the article was apparently well behind the times. Coachworks
closed down in February, and the entire property was auctioned off on April 24th
to a single buyer. The sale will take a short while to finalize, but we have
heard that the buyer has stated that he has no interest in producing
Wanderlodges, but is willing to work with owners (Randy Dupree in particular) to
preserve information and possibly parts.
Don Bradner
90 PT40 "Blue Thunder"
My location:
http://www.bbirdmaps.com/user2.cfm?user=1
On 5/1/2009 at 4:26 PM rvwifi wrote:
>I appologize if i have offended you sir, perhaps if you read the entire
>article posted below it might help, please note the date on the article
>that was taken from an industry news site.
>And where better to post this than on the Bluebird site????
>
>April 30, 2009 by Bob Ashley
>Coachworks Holdings Inc., Fort Valley, Ga., has shut down production of
>luxury Blue Bird Wanderlodge buses and is selling off assets, according to
>a reliable source.
>
>Coachworks Holdings declined comment.
>
>School bus manufacturer Blue Bird Corp., which sold its Class A RV and
>Express seated bus business to Coachworks Holdings in 2007, issued a
>statement on Monday (April 27) refuting rumors that it was going out of
>business. "We no longer have a financial connection with this unrelated
>business entity (Coachworks Holdings) as it is a completely separate
>company," the Blue Bird Corp. statement said. "Blue Bird Corp. is as
>strong as ever and in excellent financial shape."
>
>Coachworks Holdings built custom-made Wanderlodge Premier XL Class A
>buses, which went back into production last fall after a year-long hiatus.
>
>The original Blue Bird Body Co., was founded in 1927 by Albert L. Luce Sr.
>to build all-steel school buses, which previously had been assembled with
>wood. The Blue Bird Wanderlodge Class A motorhome was introduced in 1963,
>and Blue Bird Body began building commercial buses in the 1970s.
>
>A management group bought the Blue Bird company in 1992, and in 1999 Blue
>Bird Body was sold to Great Britain-based Henlys Group PLC, which also
>owned Volvo and had an ownership interest in Canada's Prevost Car Co., a
>Blue Bird Wanderlodge competitor.
>
>After running into financial problems, Blue Bird filed for bankruptcy in
>2006, after which its assets were acquired by investment firm Cerberus
>Capital Management LP, the current owner of Chrysler Holdings Inc.
>
>In 2007, Cerberus sold the Blue Bird RV and commercial bus division to
>Coachworks Holdings a sister company to Complete Coach Works Inc., a
>22-year-old California company that specializes in refurbishing and
>selling used transit buses.
>
>
>
>
>--- In
WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "birdshill123"
>wrote:
>>
>> I am wondering why this is being posted here ?? This is very old news
>as they ceased production moanths ago and the assets were auctioned off
>last week?? Who is Blubird Custom Bus??
>>
>> Bruce
>>
>> 1988 FC35
>>
>
>
>
>
>------------------------------------
>
>Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
Don Bradner
90 PT40 "Blue Thunder"
My location: http://www.bbirdmaps.com/user2.cfm?user=1