- Corbeil Bus Corporation
-
Corbeil Bus Corporation Type Subsidiary (Collins Bus Corporation) Industry Transportation Predecessor Les Enterprises Michel Corbeil, Inc. Founded 2007 Headquarters Hutchinson, Kansas, United States Area served United States
CanadaProducts school buses Parent Collins Industries Website http://www.corbeilbus.com Corbeil Bus Corporation is a school and commercial bus manufacturer, based in Hutchinson, Kansas. It was created from the acquisition of predecessor Les Enterprises Michel Corbeil by Collins Industries in 2007. Collins markets the Corbeil brand name throughout Canada, and as special order buses in the United States.
Contents
History
Les Enterprises Michel Corbeil
Les Enterprises Michel Corbeil Industry Transportation Fate Acquired by Collins Industries in 2007 Successor Corbeil Bus Corporation Founded 1985 Founder(s) Michel Corbeil Defunct 2007 Headquarters St-Lin-Laurentides, Quebec. Area served Canada
United StatesProducts school buses Website http://www.corbeilbus.com 
A Corbeil Type A bus photographed in Canada
.
Les Enterprises Michel Corbeil is a former school and commercial bus manufacturer, based out of St-Lin-Laurentides, Canada.
Founded in 1985, the first Corbeil buses were produced in a 7,000-square-foot (650 m2) factory; 77 buses (all Type A school buses) were manufactured the first year. The factory was later moved to a 130,000-square-foot (12,000 m2) facility to increase production. In 1990, Corbeil added full-size buses along with dual-rear wheel Type A school buses.
Corbeil buses were known for utilizing lightweight components, allowing for many flexible floorplans. Being built in Canada, Corbeil made a bus that was resistant to winter conditions, which made it a popular bus not only in Canada, but in the Northeast United States, particularly New York.
Outside of Canada, Corbeil's largest dealers, were Don Brown Bus Sales of Johnstown, NY and Gorman Enterprises of Elma, NY. New York State made up the majority of Corbeil's overall sales in the United States.
In addition to Type A buses, Corbeil built Type C (conventional) and Type D (transit-style) buses. These were only sold in Canada, as Corbeil did not want to enter the highly competitive US market. Most conventionals were built on International chassis, but some Ford B-700 and Freightliner FS-65 chassis were supplied as well. Additionally, International supplied Type D chassis, but Corbeil was not allowed to sell their Type D buses in the United States because they would compete against similar products built by International's subsidiary, AmTran.
In September 2007, after a few years of declining business, Corbeil shut down operations, and Collins Bus Corporation purchased assets, including designs, naming rights, and warranty.
Corbeil Bus Corporation
After the acquisition in late 2007, Collins moved all Corbeil production from Quebec to their headquarters in Hutchinson, Kansas; this brought all Collins school bus production into one facility (Mid Bus production in Ohio was closed at the same time). Today, the three Collins school bus brands sell a common product line differentiated largely by brand engineering. In addition, sales of each brand are concentrated in different regions of North America so as not to directly compete with one another but as a whole against competitors like Blue Bird/Girardin, Starcraft, Thomas, and Trans Tech.
Products
Corbeil conventional (retired)- Type A Buses on Ford, Chevrolet, and GMC chassis (single and dual rear wheels)
- Type C Buses on International 3800, Ford B-700 and Freightliner FS-65 chassis (1990–2003)
- Type D Buses on International 3900 FE and 3000 RE chassis (before 2000)
External links
References
Active ManufacturersFull-Size and Small Buses Small Buses Only Blue Bird Corporation
IC Bus
Lion Bus (full-size buses only)
Thomas Built Buses, IncCollins Industries (Collins, Mid Bus, Corbeil)
Girardin Minibus
Starcraft Bus
Trans TechDefunct Manufacturers (Including date of closure or last school bus manufacture)2000sCarpenter Industries, Inc (2001) • American Transportation Corporation (AmTran) (2002; became IC Bus) • Les Enterprises Michel Corbeil (2008; acquired by Collins) • Liberty Bus (2005) • U.S. Bus Corporation1990sCoach and Equipment Manufacturing (1999; still in business) • Crown Coach Corporation (1991) • Gillig Corporation (1993; still in business) • Mid Bus (1998; acquired by Collins) • TAM-USA (1991) • Wayne Corporation (1992; became Wayne Wheeled Vehicles) • Wayne Wheeled Vehicles (1995)1980sWard Body Works (1980; became AmTran) • New Bus Company (1989) • Superior Coach Company (1985)1970sNorthern Coach • Perley A. Thomas Car Works (1972; became Thomas Built Buses)1960s1950sKenworth-Pacific (1957; still in business)List of school bus manufacturersNorth American bus builders Active Eagle Bus
ElDorado National
Federal Coach
Ford Motor Company
Glaval Bus
Gillig Corporation
Girardin Minibus
Goshen CoachPrevost Car
Setra
Stallion Bus Industries
Starcraft Bus
Thomas Built Buses
Trans Tech
Trident Bus IndustriesDefunct ACF-Brill
Aerocoach
AM General
AmTran
Beck
Canadian Car and Foundry
Carpenter Body Company
Corbeil Bus CorporationCrown Coach Corporation
Fageol
Fifth Avenue Bus Company
FitzJohn
Flxible
General Motors Corporation/
General Motors Diesel Division (GM Coach)
KenworthLAG Motorcoach
Mack Trucks
MASA
National Coach Corp.
Neoplan USA
Superior Coach Company
Transportation Manufacturing CorporationTwin Coach
U.S. Bus Corporation
Ward Body Works
Wayne Corporation
Wayne Wheeled Vehicles
White Motor Company
Yellow CoachCategories:- School buses
- School bus manufacturers
- Bus manufacturers
- Manufacturing companies of Canada
- Companies based in Quebec
- Motor vehicle assembly plants in Canada
- Motor vehicle assembly plants in Kansas
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
