This
article was published in the May 2023 edition of NTEA News.
Mid-Size
Bus Manufacturers Association (MSBMA) was founded in 1993 to enhance
professionalism, safety and product quality in the mid-size bus industry. The
group defines mid-size buses as passenger-carrying motor coaches, built on a
cutaway or rail chassis or on monocoque construction, less than 40 feet in
length and having a gross vehicle weight rating of 33,000 pounds (Class 7) or
less. MSBMA members include bus manufacturers and other supporting companies
such as component, system and service suppliers.
Many
mid-size buses are purchased with Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grant
money. To qualify for funding, grantees must ensure their bus models have
undergone the New Model Bus Testing Program — known as Altoona testing, as the
evaluation site is in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
As
customers receiving FTA funds must prove purchased buses have undergone
testing, they rely on manufacturers to provide proper verification. Under
MAP-21 Act, Altoona tests include pass/fail criteria, designed to ensure a
minimum performance level. As needed, MSBMA works with FTA to extend
equivalence to applicable chassis in an effort to reduce testing for its bus
manufacturing members.
In
its meetings, MSBMA benefits from participation of key FTA and test facility representatives,
as this enables the group to offer ongoing program improvement suggestions.
MSBMA monitors other recommended changes to
federal requirements that may affect its members, and is actively developing
relationships with liaisons from various chassis manufacturers linked to the
mid-size bus industry. During meetings, routine discussion
points include all aspects of upfitting, promoting and distributing buses built
on various chassis. OEM participation plays a key role in these conversations.
How
to join
To
be eligible for MSBMA membership, an applicant must satisfy the qualifications
to be either a Governing or Associate Member. A Governing Member applicant must
be an NTEA manufacturer member in good standing engaged in the manufacture of
mid-size buses in North America (defined to include United States, Mexico and
Canada). An Associate Member applicant must be an NTEA associate, manufacturer
or distributor member in good standing engaged in associated industries in
North America. For more information or to join, email Steve Spata, NTEA senior
technical assistance director, at steves@ntea.com.
MSBMA
officers
Chair:
Dan Flynn, ARBOC
Vice
Chair: Mike Anglemyer, Starcraft Bus Div. of Forest River Inc.
Treasurer:
Mark Barczak, Endera Motors
MSBMA
members
- ARBOC Specialty Vehicles LLC
(Middlebury, Indiana)
- Austin Hardware & Supply Inc.
(Lee’s Summit, Missouri)
- Braun Northwest Inc. (Chehalis,
Washington)
- Champion Bus Inc. (Imlay City,
Michigan)
- Coach & Equipment Mfg. Corp. (Penn
Yan, New York)
- Diamond Coach (Oswego, Kansas)
- ElDorado National (Salina, Kansas)
- Elkhart Coach Div. Forest River Inc.
(Elkhart, Indiana)
- Endera Motors LLC (Ottawa, Ohio)
- Freedman Seating Co. (Chicago,
Illinois)
- Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp.
(Gaffney, South Carolina)
- Glaval Bus Division of Forest River
Inc. (Elkhart, Indiana)
- Halsey King & Associates Inc.
(Carlsbad, California)
- High Level Enterprises Inc. (Elkhart,
Indiana)
- IMMI (Westfield, Indiana)
- InterMotive Vehicle Controls (Auburn,
California)
- Jaydu LLC (Alpharetta, Georgia)
- LA West Inc. (Statesville, North
Carolina)
- LiquidSpring LLC (Lafayette, Indiana)
- Micro Bird Inc. (Drummondville,
Quebec)
- MORryde International Inc. (Elkhart,
Indiana)
- Olathe Ford Sales Inc. (Olathe,
Kansas)
- Oliva Torras USA Inc. dba Bracketry
Systems Inc. (Fort Worth, Texas)
- Pegasus Specialty Vehicles (Dunkirk,
Ohio)
- Phoenix USA Inc. (Cookeville,
Tennessee)
- Starcraft Bus Div. of Forest River
Inc. (Goshen, Indiana)
- StarTrans Bus Div. of Forest River
Inc. (Goshen, Indiana)
- Suburban Fleet Sales (Sterling
Heights, Michigan)
- Trans/Air Mfg. Corp. (Dallastown,
Pennsylvania)
- Transfer Flow Inc. (Chico, California)
- Turtle Top (New Paris, Indiana)
- Velvac Inc. (New Berlin, Wisconsin)
- Work Truck Total Protect (Portland,
Oregon)