CH Bus Sales and Temsa gel for 2012

The TS 30 model debuts at UMA Expo; national sales and service in place

By David Hubbard

CH Bus Sales will put the 30-ft Temsa TS 30 on exhibition during UMA EXPO 2012, Long Beach, CA.

The Temsa bus and motorcoach brands belong to Temsa Global and runs in more than 40 markets worldwide including Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. The company has bus and coach production plants in Adana, Turkey and Cairo, Egypt, to offer myriad models that accommodate various transportation modes and the many needs of each regional market.

Now with the only 35-and 30-foot monocoque design motorcoaches available to North American operators, CH Bus Sales, Faribault, MN, the exclusive Temsa distributor in the U.S, will showcase the 30-ft TS30 model this month during UMA Expo 2012 in Long Beach, CA.

“This 30-foot coach length marks a significant addition to the small bus market in North America,” says CH Bus Sales President and CEO Robert Foley. “Operators are excited by the fact that it is an upscale option that is not body on chassis. Some applications of a cutaway are fine, but there are many instances where the use of a true motorcoach will perform much better.”
In addition to monocoque construction, the advantages of transporting up to 32 passengers in the smaller 30-foot coach, according to Foley, are the greater baggage capacity, the comfort of full-scale motorcoach seating and amenities and an onboard lavatory. Foley says bus and coach operators are trying to save costs without jeopardizing the quality they offer their customers.

“The shorter length Temsa models are becoming more attractive to operators who are not filling their 45-foot coaches on every trip,” says Foley. “These options save on the purchase price, insurance costs, mileage and lower tolls.”

Academy Bus Lines, Hoboken, NJ, Cardinal Bus, Middlebury, IN, and Pacific Coachways, Garden Grove, CA were some of the first North American operators to purchase the 35-ft coach Temsa introduced in 2008.  In the past quarter, Vandalia Lines, St. Louis, MO; Skyliner Tours, Astoria, NY; AFC Transportation, Houston, TX; Cavallo Bus, Springfield, MO; SFO Limo, San Francisco, CA; Rochester Bus Service, Hastings, MN; Jefferson Lines, Minneapolis, MN; and Bloomington Shuttle, Bloomington, IN, have put the Temsa TS35 into service.

Cardinal Bus operated three of the first units to arrive in the U.S. and has since traded these for three 2012 models equipped with EPA-compliant Cummins engines.

Dan Shoup, president and CEO of family-owned Cardinal Bus, says the 35-foot TS35 is a perfect fit for the smaller athletic teams his company transports.

Robert Foley serves as president and CEO, CH Bus Sales, Faribault, MN.

“We typically carry teams of 15 to 30 students for these smaller division schools,” he says. “We feel better and the clients feel better about them riding in a coach that is full, and the schools are far more confident with the Temsa coaches on longer trips.”

CH Bus Sales solidifies operation
Foley says the Temsa U.S. sales organization is in place and represents a wealth of industry experience.
Executive Vice President, Duane Geiger, heads the national sales team of Tim Vaught and Larry Williams in Texas and the South; Tony Mongiovi, New Jersey and the Northeast; Randy Angell, Midwest; and Randy Kolesar, Pacific and Western region. This group averages 20 years of experience in the motorcoach industry. The company reports it will add an account executive in the Southeast later in the spring.

“This team will wear several hats, but they enjoy the challenge and have the experience,” says Foley. “A lot has come together in the last four months.”

CH Bus Sales has opened a service facility in Orlando, FL, which has a consistent port pickup and customer delivery routine in place, in addition to performing outside service work for operators.

Duane Geiger serves as executive vice president, sales and service, CH Bus Sales, Faribault, MN.

“We currently have two established parts warehouses in Las Vegas and Orlando. We also have a solid warranty administration and after sales support team headed by Marvin Borntrager, who has 28 years of experience in the motor coach industry.  In addition to the two locations in Las Vegas and Orlando, we are assembling a reliable technical support network across the country” says Foley.

Foley says the service support growth begins with a collaborative effort with Creative Bus Sales, Chino, CA, which will add support in Chino, CA, Hayward, CA, Sacramento, CA, Elkhart, IN, Phoenix, AZ, Albuquerque, NM and Atlantic Beach, FL.  CH Bus Sales also has service arrangements with David Frank in the Texas area, C&J’s Bus Repair Service, Minneapolis, MN, and Perfect Body and Motor Coach Solutions in the Northeast. “Our plan is to have support in every major city in the U.S. and eventually in Canada,” says Foley. “We recently established our product research and development committee, which Tim Vaught leads. The committee, which includes operators and Temsa personnel, is reviewing our TS35 and TS30 models, along with our U.S. prototype of the 45-ft coach which we will introduce to North America this time next year.” BR

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