Wrightbus has announced it has acquired RGI Bus and Coach Refurbishment in a ‘pivotal’ deal to continue the firm’s push into bus refurbishment and repair.
For the Ballymena-based firm, the buy-out of Southam, Warwickshire-based RGI underlines its commitment to growth and expansion.
The deal will enable Wrightbus and its subsidiary NewPower to offer a complete suite of refurbishment options, from upholstery to metalwork, alongside its existing powertrain conversion operation.
NewPower, which has moved into a hi-tech factory in Bicester, Oxfordshire, aims to speed up the decarbonisation process by eradicating diesel powertrains in older fleets at a substantially lower price than a new bus.
The RGI deal, signed at the end of last month, secures its facilities in Southam along with 13 members of staff.
It also sees RGI owner Ross Cleaver – a former West Midlands police officer, who set the business up in 2016 – join Wrightbus as Head of Repair and Refurbishment UK.
Jean-Marc Gales, Wrightbus CEO, said the company was entering a bold new phase in a bid to underline its global credentials.
He added: “We want to ensure the Wrightbus name is known not just in the UK and Ireland but all across the globe.
“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.
“While zero-emission buses clearly offer instant decarbonisation, the continued use and re-use of existing fleets is equally important for the circular economy.”
