Press Releases
Louisiana Motor Coach Adds 10 New MCI J4500 Coaches to Its Growing Fleet
DES PLAINES, ILLINOIS, JANUARY 17, 2020: (TSX:NFI) Motor Coach Industries (MCI), a U.S. subsidiary of NFI Group Inc., (“NFI”), one of the world’s largest independent global bus manufacturers, delivered 10 new bestselling MCI J4500 coaches to Louisiana Motor Coach, New Orleans’ fastest growing tour and charter companies.
This growing regional operator serving conventions, sports events, charters and tours is known for a safe and luxurious experience for its customers and wanted to add a new class of vehicles with next-generation passenger amenities to its 30-vehicle fleet. MCI is pleased to win their business for the first time.
Louisiana Motor Coach’s new J4500 coaches feature best-in-class interiors and legroom, proven reliability, fuel-saving features and low total cost of operation with the latest safety features.
“Everything about the purchases of these new coaches fell into place,” said Louis Sanders, Louisiana Motor Coach’s vice president and general manager, who with his wife Mary Sanders, the company’s president, and eldest son and partner Jeffrey Celeste, launched the business 10 years ago. “The MCI team came through with the quality and coach amenities we were looking for. We like the new interior design including the lavatory and new digital driver dash on the J4500.”
The leadership team brings more than 25 years of tour and charter experience to their operation, which has grown to become one of New Orleans’ largest, local family-owned operators. “We’re persistent and already have a second generation in place,” said Sanders, who noted son Ryan Sanders and daughter Caitlin Sanders Schultz are also part of the business’ hard-working team. “We take a lot of pride in the style and young age of the equipment we offer and how we serve our community.”
Travel & Leisure magazine ranks New Orleans, a bus mecca, as the third most popular destination in the United States. Louisiana Motor Coach is distinguished by its newer fleet, commitment to service and unique excursions. In addition to traditional charter services, Louisiana Motor Coach helps travelers with customized tours of New Orleans, fishing adventures and scheduled coach travel to away games for the city’s professional sports teams.
High-profile assignments have included the 17-day U.S. tour for Australian members of the Sweet Adelines, an international women’s barbershop harmony group, following the organization’s 2019 annual meeting held in New Orleans in September.
Sanders also said the company is benefiting from its recent association with FlixBus, a German-based digital transportation company which launched routes in March from New Orleans to Houston and San Antonio, Texas. with scheduled stops in Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Louisiana. And other cities in route. Founded in Germany in 2013, FlixBus launched U.S. service in 2018 and manages the technology, marketing and route system logistics for locally based carrier partners who transport FlixBus passengers.
Giving back to the community is also important to Louisiana Motor Coach. The company is active with local sports teams, “Stuff the Bus” charity events and is a very proud sponsor of the Young Life organization, supporting its annual summer trips and golf outing.
To learn more, please visit Louisianamotorcoach.com.
About NFI
With 9,000 team members operating from more than 50 facilities across ten countries, NFI is a leading independent global bus manufacturer providing a comprehensive suite of mass transportation solutions under brands: New Flyer® (heavy-duty transit buses), Alexander Dennis Limited (single and double-deck buses), Plaxton (motor coaches), MCI® (motor coaches), ARBOC® (low-floor cutaway and medium-duty buses), and NFI Parts™. NFI buses and motor coaches incorporate the widest range of drive systems available including: clean diesel, natural gas, diesel-electric hybrid, and zero-emission electric (trolley, battery, and fuel cell). In total, NFI now supports over 105,000 buses and coaches currently in service around the world. NFI common shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol NFI. News and information are available at www.nfigroup.com, www.newflyer.com, www.mcicoach.com, www.arbocsv.com, www.alexander-dennis.com, and nfi.parts.
About MCI
Motor Coach Industries (MCI) is North America’s public and private market motor coach leader, building the J4500 (the industry best-seller for 14 consecutive years), the all-new 35-foot J3500 model, and the workhorse D-Series including the breakthrough ADA-accessible MCI D45 CRT LE Commuter Coach offering lower dwell times. MCI will add battery-electric propulsion in 2020. With nearly 30,000 MCI coaches on the road, MCI also provides maintenance, repair, 24-hour roadside assistance, parts supply through NFI Parts, and technician training through the industry’s only Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) accredited MCI Academy.
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