Volgren

Volgren is an Australian bus and coach body manufacturer established in 1977 in Dandenong, Victoria. The company was formed by Melbourne bus operator Grenda Corporation, at a time when Grenda also held the Victorian dealership for Volvo Buses. Its early manufacturing activity was therefore closely linked to Volvo chassis, and the name Volgren combines elements associated with Volvo and Grenda, the venture's original investors. The business began by supplying bodies for buses used in Australian public transport. Volgren completed its first bus in Dandenong in October 1979. During its early years, the company primarily bodied Volvo chassis because of the relationship with the Volvo dealership. That arrangement ended in 1989 when the dealership was relinquished, allowing Volgren to work with a broader range of chassis manufacturers and vehicle platforms. Volgren also developed a Queensland manufacturing presence. In 1981, Grenda Corporation joined with Hornibrook Bus Lines' Geoff Mountjoy, Greyhound Northern and Stateliner to establish a plant at Acacia Ridge. The facility produced bodies for Volvo B59 and B10R vehicles used by operators including Hornibrook Bus Lines and Surfside Buslines, before concentrating on twin- and double-deck Volvo B10M coaches. The Acacia Ridge operation closed in the late 1980s. The company later expanded its manufacturing footprint in Western Australia and Queensland. A Malaga, Western Australia facility opened in April 1999 to fulfil a contract for Mercedes-Benz O405NH bodies for Transperth. An Eagle Farm, Queensland facility opened in February 2010. Volgren also operated a plant at Tomago, New South Wales, opened in March 2010 and closed in July 2012. Dandenong, Malaga and Eagle Farm are identified as the company's current factories in the available reference material. Volgren's product range includes city-bus bodies such as the Optimus and the CR-series, as well as coach bodies including the Endura and SC-series. Its bodies have been installed on chassis from manufacturers such as Volvo, Mercedes-Benz, MAN and Scania, demonstrating the company's position as a bodybuilder rather than a complete-chassis vehicle manufacturer. The resulting vehicles have served public-transport operators in Australia and selected Asian markets. Ownership changed materially in December 2011, when Brazilian bus manufacturer Marcopolo acquired a 75 percent shareholding. Marcopolo increased its holding to 100 percent in April 2014. Volgren consequently operates as a wholly owned Marcopolo business while retaining its Australian manufacturing identity and public-transport focus. The available sources do not provide reliable information about current senior executives, production volumes, revenue, employee numbers or a detailed current ownership structure beyond Marcopolo's full ownership.

Volgren was established in 1977 at Dandenong in Victoria by Grenda Corporation, a Melbourne bus operator. The company's origins were closely connected to Grenda's position as the Volvo Buses dealer in Victoria. Because of that relationship, Volgren initially bodied only Volvo chassis. The brand name is described as a combination of Volvo and Grenda, reflecting the identities of the venture's original investors. Volgren completed its first bus in Dandenong in October 1979. Its early work focused on supplying bodies for buses used by Australian operators. In 1981, Grenda Corporation participated in the establishment of a second manufacturing operation at Acacia Ridge in Queensland with Geoff Mountjoy of Hornibrook Bus Lines, Greyhound Northern and Stateliner. That plant bodied Volvo B59 and B10R vehicles for operators including Hornibrook Bus Lines and Surfside Buslines. It later concentrated on twin- and double-deck Volvo B10M coaches before closing in the late 1980s. A significant change occurred in 1989, when Grenda relinquished its Volvo dealership. Volgren was no longer tied to a single chassis source and could manufacture bodies for a wider range of vehicle platforms. This broader approach became important as the company supplied bodies for city buses and coaches using chassis from several international manufacturers. The company expanded its Australian footprint with the opening of a Malaga facility in Western Australia in April 1999. The plant was established to fulfil a contract to body Mercedes-Benz O405NH buses for Transperth. In Queensland, Volgren opened a facility at Eagle Farm in February 2010. It also opened a plant at Tomago in New South Wales in March 2010, although that site closed in July 2012. The available reference material identifies Dandenong, Malaga and Eagle Farm as current factories. Volgren's manufacturing output has included city buses, coaches, articulated vehicles, double-deck vehicles and bodies adapted to different chassis specifications. The company's city-bus portfolio includes the Optimus and a sequence of CR models, while its coach range includes the Endura and SC models. Volgren bodies have appeared on vehicles supplied to Australian operators such as Transperth, Ventura Bus Lines, ComfortDelGro Australia, Transdev Australasia and Kinetic Group. The company has also supplied or supported vehicles operated in Asian markets, including Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Japan. In December 2011, Brazilian bus manufacturer Marcopolo acquired a 75 percent interest in Volgren. Marcopolo increased that interest to 100 percent in April 2014. This transaction integrated Volgren into a larger international bus-manufacturing group while preserving the company's Australian production base and specialization in bus and coach bodies. Publicly available material supplied for this entry does not establish current executive names, financial performance, workforce size or detailed present-day production volumes.

• 2014

  Marcopolo reaches full ownership

  [1]Volgrenen.wikipedia.org

  Marcopolo increases its holding to 100 percent in April.

• 2012

  Tomago plant closes

  [1]Volgrenen.wikipedia.org

  The New South Wales facility at Tomago closes in July.

• 2011

  Marcopolo acquires a majority interest

  [1]Volgrenen.wikipedia.org

  Marcopolo acquires a 75 percent shareholding in Volgren in December.

• 2010

  Eagle Farm and Tomago facilities open

  [1]Volgrenen.wikipedia.org

  Volgren opens facilities at Eagle Farm in Queensland in February and Tomago in New South Wales in March.

• 1999

  Malaga facility opens

  [1]Volgrenen.wikipedia.org

  Volgren opens its Malaga, Western Australia plant in April to support a Transperth Mercedes-Benz O405NH body contract.

• 1989

  Volvo dealership relationship ends

  [1]Volgrenen.wikipedia.org

  Grenda relinquishes the Victorian Volvo Buses dealership, ending Volgren's period of exclusive focus on Volvo chassis.

• 1981

  Queensland manufacturing operation established

  [1]Volgrenen.wikipedia.org

  A plant is established at Acacia Ridge with several bus-industry partners and produces bodies for Volvo-based buses and coaches.

• 1979

  First bus completed

  [1]Volgrenen.wikipedia.org

  Volgren completes its first bus in October at the Dandenong facility.

• 1977

  Volgren is established in Dandenong

  [1]Volgrenen.wikipedia.org

  Grenda Corporation forms Volgren in Dandenong, Victoria, to manufacture bus bodies.

A business-to-business vehicle-body manufacturer serving public-transport operators, chassis suppliers and fleet procurement programs.

• City bus body

  Optimus

  The Optimus is a Volgren city-bus body family intended for urban public-transport applications. Reference material records its use on multiple chassis and in several Asian markets, including Japan, where bodies were adapted to a narrower vehicle specification. The product represents Volgren's approach of supplying operator-focused body designs that can be integrated with chassis from external manufacturers.

• City bus body

  CR series

  The CR range comprises Volgren city-bus body variants identified by the CR221L through CR228L designations. These models form part of the company's urban-bus offering for public-transport fleets. The available source lists the variants but does not provide reliable launch dates, technical specifications, propulsion compatibility for each version or current production status.

• Coach body

  Endura

  Endura is a Volgren coach-body family designed for longer-distance, charter or intercity applications rather than exclusively urban service. As with Volgren's other body products, the body is fitted to a separately supplied vehicle chassis. The supplied reference identifies Endura as a principal coach offering but does not provide a confirmed launch year or complete technical description.

• Coach body

  SC series

  The SC221 and SC222 are coach-body models listed within Volgren's product range. They illustrate the company's participation in coach as well as city-bus body manufacturing. Detailed information on their dimensions, chassis applications, production periods and current availability is not established by the supplied sources.

• 2014

  Move to full Marcopolo ownershipM&A

  Background

  Following Marcopolo's 2011 majority investment, the remaining ownership was acquired.

  Action taken

  Marcopolo increased its holding to 100 percent in April 2014.

  Aftermath

  Volgren became wholly owned by Marcopolo, while its Australian manufacturing operations remained central to its identity.

  Source

• 2011

  Accept Marcopolo majority investmentM&A

  Background

  Volgren operated as an Australian bus-body manufacturer before Brazilian bus producer Marcopolo acquired a majority interest.

  Action taken

  Marcopolo acquired a 75 percent shareholding in December 2011.

  Aftermath

  The transaction placed Volgren under majority ownership of an international bus-manufacturing group.

  Source

1. 1Volgrenen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Volgren official websitevolgren.com.au