SOUTH HUTCHINSON, Kan. (Sept. 27, 2007) — The school bus industry has seen the number of vehicle manufacturers shrink in a matter of days as Collins Industries was quick to pick up Canadian small school bus OEM Corbeil Bus, which announced it was going out of business on Sept. 18.

“This will give our bus division a significant platform to continue our growth in the Type-A bus market,” said Collins Industries president and CEO Randall Swift in a press release. It was expected this will include Canada where Collins has never had a presence, and in New York where it has done limited business.

Collins Industries purchased Corbeil's intellectual property and equipment, though the manufacturing facility in Saint Lin Laurentides, Quebec was not part of the deal, and will continue to market the Corbeil Bus brand.

The move was an expected one across the industry following the news the Collins Industries was closing its Mid Bus plant in Bluffton, Ohio and relocating it to the Collins Bus plant in South Hutchinson. The very same day Corbeil announced it was closing its doors in Quebec. Today's move is expected to increase Collins Industries’ Type-A presence in not only Canada but in the lucrative New York market.

“The purchase of select assets from Les Enterprises Michel Corbeil Inc. should send a clear message to our dealers and customers of our commitment to this industry,” said Kent Tyler, president of Collins Bus, adding that parent company Collins Industries will use the purchase to expand its North American customer base. It remained unknown if Corbeil's existing dealer base would be retained.

Editor's note: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that 100 former Corbeil employees would join the new operation in Kansas. While several Corbeil staff would be retained, in actuality Collins Industries officials said the purchase of Corbeil would entail approximately 100 new jobs. We regret the error.