44 vehicle order for Germany and agreement signed for entry into Finnish market
POLAND Solaris is supplying 44 Urbino low-floor city buses to five operators from the Rhineland region of Germany.
In order to generate synergies, the municipally-owned companies jointly tendered for new buses as part of Kooperationsgemeinschaft Mittlerer Niederrhein (KMN) group and chose Solaris for the third consecutive time.
Solaris was chosen as supplier for all buses after submitting the best bid for the cities of Mönchengladbach, Krefeld, Neuss and Viersen as well as neighbouring Heinsberg District.
The order consists of 24 Urbino12 standard-length buses and 20 articulated Urbino18.
Ma?gorzata Olszewska, Solaris director of global sales and marketing, said: “We are delighted that all five KMN partners have once again chosen the Solaris Urbino. Whenever our customers come back to us for repeat business, we have successfully been able to pass an extended quality control check.”
Solaris first delivered buses to some of KMN’s members in 2010. In 2011, all operators chose Solaris and together ordered 27 Solaris Urbino diesel buses. The Polish bus and coach manufacturer built nine diesel-electric hybrids for KMN operators for separate orders. With the 2012 delivery, nearly 100 Solaris buses will operate in this part of Germany.
Additionally, Solaris has teamed up with Valmet Automotive in Finland who will consult and support Solaris’s entry to the Finnish market area. Possibilities for product development cooperation are also being considered.
Within the open-ended agreement, Valmet Automotive has a versatile role as Solaris’s partner in Finland. Solaris will operate as the importer of its buses while local partner Pehycon will be responsible for service and maintenance.
Hans Svensson, Valmet Automotive’s business services sales and marketing director, said: “Bus operators in Finland have been waiting for Solaris’s entry. We are pleased we can help Solaris in their efforts in Finland from the very beginning. Solaris introduces several interesting, modern and competitive alternatives.”
“Solaris intends to establish itself strongly in the Nordic Countries, and entry in Finland is a strategic choice. We are pleased to partner Valmet Automotive in Finland,” said Malgorzata Olszewska.
