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42 < m ETRO m AGAZINE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 metro-magazine.com Micro Bird ofers a complete line of durable commercial buses for up to 25 passengers, including the D-Series; a dual rear wheel bus made of six longitudinal structural beams combined with one-piece galvanized steel roof bows that enhance safety and rollover protection. wanted to be clear they are two separate corporate bodies now," Mansell said. M i c r o B i r d C o m m e r c i a l a l s o launched an updated, more modern website for its customers, www.mbc- bus.com. "We have a lot of things we do on the commercial side that are available to our Canadian customers the U.S. mar- ket basically knows nothing about," Mansell explained. " The goal of our new website is to really get our products out there and show people the features and benefts available to them." With Micro Bird a long established product in the U.S. market, Mansell added that it already has an extensive dealership network in place, but is also looking to expand that reach. "We have strong representation in every state, but we are actively looking for new partners, not only end users, but dealers throughout the U.S., to help support our products and help with dis- tribution," he said. "That expansion is just another part of our growth process we have planned." Focused on growing the commercial bus market in the U.S., Micro Bird Inc. announced the launch of Micro Bird Commercial earlier this year at APTA's EXPO in Houston. "We have always produced and man- ufactured a top quality commercial product line, but now we have decided to aggressively pursue that line of busi- ness in the U.S. market, starting with a dedicated full-time sales and market- ing team," explained James Mansell, national sales manager at Micro Bird. Mansell added Micro Bird's commer- cial product offerings will be directly marketed to operators in several indus- tries, including healthcare, shuttle bus, park and fy, and any other businesses that don't receive FTA funding. Te company designs and manufac- tures a complete line of durable com- mercial buses for up to 25 passengers. The D-Series, a dual rear wheel bus is made of six longitudinal structural beams combined with one-piece gal- vanized steel roof bows that enhance safety and rollover protection. A pro- pane system is also available. Meanwhile, the S-Series, a single rear wheel bus, has a patented extra wide oval body that creates a larger aisle and increases room for better passen- ger comfort. A wide range of options and configurations are also offered to better accommodate a specifc opera- tors' needs. Mansell said a major focus right now for Micro Bird is its propane-propelled v e h i c l e s, f e a t u r i n g R O U S H C l e a n - Tech's system. "We think propane is a cost-efective solution, because the infrastructure costs are inexpensive and it's a mature, efcient system for operators," Mansell said. "We're actively looking at differ- ent types of solutions as well, but right now propane is a very solid option for this market." Micro Bird does its own propane con- versions, with the system serviced and backed by ROUSH. One major aspect of the Micro Bird Commercial launch was the separate b ra n d i ng f ro m i t s Bl u e Bi rd s c h o o l bus line "Micro Bird Commercial keeps the brand, the bird, at the forefront, but we supplier spotlight Micro Bird launches dedicated team to tackle commercial bus market BY ALEX ROMAN, MANAGING EDITOR Company Info: Year Founded: 1966 No. of employees: 320 employees President/CEO: Steve Girardin Location(s): Drummondville, Quebec, Canada Services summary: Micro Bird Commercial, a division of Micro Bird Inc., designs and manufactures a complete line of commercial buses for up to 25 passengers. Since 1966, Micro Bird Inc. has continued to set industry standards with its innovative design, quality and safety; creating value for its customers. The company's buses are purpose-built for tours, assisted living, public transit, shuttle markets and many more.