Van Hool NV, an independent manufacturer of buses, coaches and industrial vehicles, will build a bus factory in Morristown, Tennessee. Once the facility is operational in the first quarter of 2020, Van Hool will employ 600 and manufacture around 400 buses and commuter coaches annually for the North American 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.”
Filip Van Hool explaining the choice of Morristown said, “the presence of a 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.”
Van Hool is an independent Belgian bus, coach and industrial vehicle manufacturer. The company, which was founded in 1947, is based in Koningshooikt, Belgium. The majority of its production is destined for Europe and America. Van Hool has around 4,450 staff worldwide. Van Hool press release
