Berkshire Coach Brings The ‘Culture’ To The Term, Motor Culture

 

Berkshire Coach Brings The 'Culture' To The Term, Motor Culture

Group transportation takes on many forms (planes, trains, light rail trams, funicular, buses, limousines, and taxi-like service automobiles) in both public and private environments. One form for group mobility stands out above all others for transporting people in comfort, safety, functionality and luxury ... the recently purchased Forest River bus manufacturing operation known as Berkshire Coach.

Recently, Creative Bus Sales held a breakout introductory cocktail reception to introduce "Intelligent Luxury" to potential customers in the form of the Berkshire Coach ULTRA 28 SERIES.

 

Berkshire Coach logo as it appears on the back of the new ULTRA 28 SERIES Intelligent Luxury group transportation solutions. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2017)

 

This excerpted and edited from Elkhart Truth - 

Elkhart RV moves: Forest River set to launch new luxury shuttle bus line
By BEN QUIGGLE - January 13, 2017

Forest River's bus division is taking a big leap forward with the launch of a separate luxury shuttle bus division, Berkshire Coach.

 

Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2017)

 

Featuring the luxury shuttle bus Berkshire Ultra, the line will be completely manufactured at the former Ameritrans Bus facility, 3601 C.R. 6 in Elkhart. The units will come packed with standard features like luxury seating, USB ports, wood-look composite flooring and touch screen TV's, that also include back-up cameras and GPS capabilities. The buses are designed to fill a void that Forest River dealers say existed in the current line up of shuttle bus offerings from the company, including the Elkhart Coach and Starcraft brands. 

 

Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2017)

 

David Wright, president of Berkshire Coach and Forest River's bus division, said that Forest River was already the largest shuttle bus manufacturer in the country and that stepping into the luxury bus arena made real sense. They started producing the buses in November after nearly a year of collecting feedback from dealers. 

"We had been hearing from dealers that customers had been asking about luxury shuttle buses," he said. "We began to collect feedback from dealers around the country and we designed our luxury line from that feedback. So far everyone, dealers and the few customers who have seen the buses have all been very pleased." 

 

Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2017)

 

The company made a substantial investment in the former Ameritrans Bus plant to prep it for manufacturing the Berkshire Ultra line, although Wright would not give a dollar amount. Right now the factory employees 35, but Wright said by the end of the year if everything goes well they hope to have 70-75 individuals employed at the facility.

Wright noted the unique thing about the Berkshire Ultra line is that all luxury items come standard – there is no need to pick-and-choose features. He also said the buses come with a five year, 100,000-mile warranty, a warranty that is "two times longer then Forest River's nearest competitor".

"There are some different floor plans that we offer, but all of the buses will come with the same options, everything is standard," Wright said. 

 

Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2017)

 

Customers will include higher-end hotels, transport companies, airport shuttle companies, golf clubs and churches, just to name a few. Berkshire Coach will also offer limousine and party buses, but those will be built through another local company contracted by Forest River. Wright did not want to disclose who that company was since details are still being finalized.

Wright said that on the limousine and party buses there will be a list of features customers can pick and choose from, making the buses more customizable.

Forest River hopes to manufacture 500 to 600 luxury buses a year, from start to finish the buses take around 3-to-4 weeks to complete. Depending on the chassis  — ranging from a Ford E450 to the largest Freightliner or International models — the buses will be able to seat 23 individuals all the way up to 45. 
[Reference Here]

Many times, people show up at automoble and transportation motor culture events and wonder where all the enriching Culture is ... Berkshire Coach delivers the Motor CULTURE in group transportation.

... notes from The EDJE

 

 

TAGS: Berkshire Coach, ULTRA 28, Forest River, Elkhart, Indinana, Intelligent Luxury, #IntelligentLuxury, Ford E450, Berkshire Ultra Line, Creative Bus Sales, Corona, California, The EDJE