Just A Car Guy: Van Hool, which manufactures buses, coaches, and industrial vehicles, said it plans to invest $47 million to construct an approximately 500,000-square-foot facility in Morristown, Tennessee

Thursday, April 12, 2018

Van Hool, which manufactures buses, coaches, and industrial vehicles, said it plans to invest $47 million to construct an approximately 500,000-square-foot facility in Morristown, Tennessee

A Belgian bus company coming to Morristown is expected to create nearly 640 jobs over the next five years.

The 1982 “Buy America Act” requires vehicles supplied to public authorities to be assembled in the U.S., contain 70 percent of their parts from American suppliers and 100 percent American steel, therefore obliging Van Hool to build a factory in America .

The factory in Morristown will be operational during the first quarter of 2020

The new plant will specifically manufacture public transit and commuter vehicles for U.S. transit agencies.

Van Hool will manufacture around 400 buses and commuter coaches annually for the North American public transport market.

Filip Van Hool, CEO at Van Hool, said of the decision: "We have over 30 years of experience in the North American market where we have been successful with buses and coaches for private companies. We’ve delivered over 11,000 vehicles in North America since 1987. Based on this experience and through market research, we have learned that the public transportation market, with a total annual potential of 6,000 to 8,000 vehicles, offers opportunities for Van Hool. Because of the "Buy America Act,” our family business decided to explore a new manufacturing facility in the U.S.”

The presence of highly-respected technical schools and well-trained employees, together with the support and cooperation of all the local stakeholders in Morristown, Hamblen County and Tennessee, convinced Van Hool's Executive Board to make the largest investment outside of Belgium in Van Hool’s 71-year history."

Moreover, in the run-up to starting production in Morristown, in the first quarter of 2020, a comprehensive training program is being developed for the new American employees who will come to Europe over the course of 2019. Our experienced employees will familiarize their new American colleagues with the high-quality norms and standards of Van Hool vehicles.