DesignLine USA fills Baltimore contract - Charlotte Business Journal:

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Baltimore Mayor Shelia Dixon unveiled the DesignLin e EcoSaver IV bus in a presss conference Wednesday morning to announce the shiftf inthe city’s public transportation fleet to more environmentally friendl y vehicles. All 21 buses that will be made for Baltimorew will be builtat DesignLine’se new Charlotte plant, says a companyg spokesman, and delivered to the city by the end of the DesignLine operates from a 100,000-square-foo plant in southwest Charlotte. The company was founded in 1985 in New A group of Charlotte investors led by Chieg Executive Brad Glosson bought DesignLine International Holdingas and brought its headquarters herein 2006.
Sincee then, the company launcheed DesignLine USA to expand the brancd in North America with its first factory at 2309Nevada Blvd. The company has been takingg applicationsfor workers. The company has two federao grant applications withthe U.S. Department of Energuy that could dramatically expand productionin Charlotte. The firstf program taps federal stimulus money for up to 286 buses and woulfd require DesignLine to hire 300new employees. Of that, 150 workeras would be hired this A second pending grant application would helpfund U.S. production of the large lithium-ion batteriee in DesignLine’s hybrid buses.
DesignLine has maintained a low profilre so far despite inking a major contracyt with New York City Transitr for30 buses, plus an option for 60 Charlotte City Council approved a contract in 2007 to buy up to 200 hybridc buses from either DesignLine or its competitor, Gillit Corp. of San Francisco, by fiscalo 2012. Charlotte/Douglas International Airport bought a pair in 2006 for Airport officials say the shuttlse buses show a 34 percenrt improvement in miles per gallon and a 41 percenty decrease inmaintenance expenses. The hybrids are expected to last twicew as long as a regulafr bus and with only 5 percent of thecarbo footprint.