Custom Bus Closes and its future

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boronia
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Re: Custom Bus Closes doors

Post by boronia »

Don't under-estimate the damage that an immature transport enthusiast can do.
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1whoknows
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Re: Custom Bus Closes doors

Post by 1whoknows »

If we want to get fair dinkum about removing extraneous posts could I politely suggest that hardly any of the discussion in this thread in the last month has had anything to do with the closure of Customs.
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tonyp
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Re: Custom Bus Closes doors

Post by tonyp »

1whoknows wrote:If we want to get fair dinkum about removing extraneous posts could I politely suggest that hardly any of the discussion in this thread in the last month has had anything to do with the closure of Customs.
Most of it contextual, it's not so off-topic on a broader sense.
stajourneyman
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Re: Custom Bus Closes doors

Post by stajourneyman »

I see the Custom Coaches website seems to have regenerated itself....

http://customcoaches.com.au/
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Swift
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Re: Custom Bus Closes doors

Post by Swift »

Maybe revive Smithfield Bus and Coach Works name.
Just imagine STA buses with a Smithfield name plate in the engine hatch.
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boronia
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Re: Custom Bus Closes doors

Post by boronia »

No mention of new ownership?
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burrumbus
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Re: Custom Bus Closes doors

Post by burrumbus »

Off the refreshed website I also note the trading name has been abbreviated to Custom.Very unusual,no mention of the new owner,as Boronia pointed out.
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Re: Custom Bus Closes doors

Post by Swift »

So what's going on, are they saved or officially closed for good?
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burrumbus
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Re: Custom Bus Closes doors

Post by burrumbus »

Sold ,I understand swift.
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boronia
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Re: Custom Bus Closes doors

Post by boronia »

There was mention here last week of a sale, but details were removed by admins pending an "official" announcement.
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jibb
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Re: Custom Bus Closes doors

Post by jibb »

it is common knowledge,and has been mentioned on other sites.
Torrens Transit received a new delivery this week from Custom(been a couple of months since the last one). Don't know how many more we are getting as the contract is due to expire in June 2018
tonyp
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Re: Custom Bus Closes doors

Post by tonyp »

It must be an interesting experience building buses while 122 staff have been sacked.
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Re: Custom Bus Closes doors

Post by Fleet Lists »

Did Adelaide ever close?
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jibb
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Re: Custom Bus Closes doors

Post by jibb »

The repair facility is still open.
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Daniel
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Re: Custom Bus Closes doors

Post by Daniel »

BREAKING: CUSTOM BUS SOLD - TELFORDS NEW OWNER
By: Fabian Cotter
Date: 05.04.2018
EXCLUSIVE: 5 APRIL, 2018, SYDNEY – Custom Buses Holdings Pty Ltd has been sold to Telfords Bus & Coach, announced as of immediately today!

On 16 March 2018, Worrells Solvency & Forensic Accountants successfully sold the business of Custom Bus Australia Pty Ltd to Telfords Bus & Coach, part of The Dunn Group and a leading Australian bus and coach charter company supplying transportation since 1978.

While several offers were received by the administrators - Simon Cathro and Aaron Lucan - in the weeks preceding the sale, the Telfords offer provided the highest return to creditors and achieved the aim of saving an Australian manufacturing business integral to the local economy.

Custom Bus is a manufacturer operational since 1955, which has focused on building high-quality buses for the Australian transport industry. In recent years, it has primarily built buses for use by the New South Wales and South Australian Governments. In the coming weeks, the business will be moved from its current location to a site in New South Wales that is more suitable for Telfords operations.

With regards to the sale, Simon Cathro stated: "We are happy to find a buyer willing to purchase the business in its entirety and continue to trade the operation. It was also pleasing that Telfords, who is a successful Australian operation, will see the business continue to operate in Australia, supporting local jobs".

Worrells was appointed administrators to Custom Bus on 18 January, 2018, and traded the business, in a limited capacity, for eight weeks before its eventual sale to Telfords Bus & Coach.

THE DUNN GROUP?
According to the Telford’s website, in 2009 Scott Dunn founded The Dunn Group and started operating under the brand of yourbus in Nottingham, England.

The operation started with seven second-hand buses, but the focus was always on differentiation of services through delivering high-quality bus services, it states.

The UK operation grew to more than 140 buses by 2013 operating on a mixture of local bus routes throughout Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire and Express coach services all over the UK.

On 14 May, 2014, The Dunn Group expanded into the Australian school and charter market with the acquisition of Telford Bus & Coach.

Since the acquisition, the fleet has grown from 67 to 98 buses and various new contracts have been obtained, the company states.

https://www.busnews.com.au/industry-new ... -new-owner
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Daniel
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Re: Custom Bus Closes doors

Post by Daniel »

tonyp wrote:It must be an interesting experience building buses while 122 staff have been sacked.
Some vehicles which were in a more advanced state of construction were continued on with a very limited number of staff. These include Busways Mercs and STA Scanias.
stajourneyman
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Re: Custom Bus Closes doors

Post by stajourneyman »

Hmmm, ...something interesting seems to be going on at 18 Vallance Street, Dunheved.
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Re: Custom Bus Closes doors

Post by Daniel »

Yes something to watch.
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Re: Custom Bus Closes doors

Post by J_Busworth »

Very good news that they managed to find an owner. I wonder where that STA Scania unit that is undelivered will be going? L?
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Re: Custom Bus Closes doors

Post by Swift »

I wonder if they'll export buses to England?
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Linto63
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Re: Custom Bus Closes doors

Post by Linto63 »

stajourneyman wrote:Hmmm, ...something interesting seems to be going on at 18 Vallance Street, Dunheved.
Confirmed, Villawood being vacated for new premises at St Marys. https://www.busnews.com.au/industry-new ... n-and-name
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Re: Custom Bus Closes doors

Post by Swift »

Why on Earth would you send it out there? Villawood is relatively central in location, though The M4 is handy to St Marys admittedly, and modern buses can do freeway speeds for fast delivery.
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Re: Custom Bus Closes doors

Post by Fleet Lists »

Read the article which makes it obvious that there are costs reasons
"We had to cut overheads and so we had to move out of the Villawood premises," explained Dunn. "The new St Mary's location is the same size as Villawood, give or take a square metre or so," he added.
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Swift
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Re: Custom Bus Closes doors

Post by Swift »

Maybe they can reopen the old Dunheved branch to distribute the completed buses by rail. :P
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boronia
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Re: Custom Bus Closes doors

Post by boronia »

Part of the branch is still there, and used regularly.

They could add a couple of flat wagons to the end of the Marulan gravel trains of a morning
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