Alabama News Center is continuing its video series titled On the Line focusing on manufacturers across the state that design and create products people use in their everyday lives. In this episode, we are heading to Anniston to look at New Flyer’s facility and its Vehicle Innovation Center.

New Flyer is North America’s heavy-duty transit bus leader and offers the most advanced product line under the Xcelsior and Xcelsior CHARGE brands.

The company is the only North American manufacturer offering all three types of zero-emission transit buses (battery-electric, fuel cell-electric and trolley-electric), and also offers clean diesel, compressed natural gas and hybrid-electric. The Anniston facility is capable of building all these models and is the only New Flyer facility that produces hydrogen fuel cell electric buses.

“All transit buses are better for greenhouse gases than traditional driving,” said Ben Wood, New Flyer’s vice president of Manufacturing and Facilities. “When you think you can put more than 80 people on a 40-foot vehicle, more than 100 people on a 60-foot vehicle — those are fewer vehicles that are on the road, less traffic, congestion, greenhouse gases, etc. But when you take an electric bus, it even further benefits the greenhouse gas emissions by eliminating tailpipe emissions on that vehicle.”

Alongside the manufacturing facility, Anniston is also home of NFI Group’s Vehicle Innovation Center. There, New Flyer brings in decision-makers from around the country who are looking at potentially getting a zero-emission bus. New Flyer educates the municipalities or companies on their options using displays, seminars, classrooms and hands-on experiences.

“That’s what’s so great about having this Vehicle Innovation Center in our backyard: All of the key decision-makers are coming here to see what’s going on,” said Greg Houck, director of lean manufacturing. “It doesn’t matter that New Flyer has facilities in St. Cloud, Minnesota, Crookston, Minnesota, Winnipeg, Canada — if they really want to see what’s going on in the zero-emission bus world, this is where they come. They get to come to our facility, and they get to see how it all comes together right here in Anniston.”

New Flyer is the only North American manufacturer offering all three types of zero-emission transit buses — battery-electric, fuel cell-electric and trolley-electric — and also offers clean diesel, compressed natural gas and hybrid-electric. (Red Clay Media)

New Flyer offers learning development on-site for new hires and welcomes applications ranging from internships to full-time employment. The company encourages employees to progress through their career by taking different paths and finding fulfillment.

“When you come here to work, you get competitive pay, you get a collaborative workforce, you get a real sense that you’re actually making a difference,” Wood said. “You’re providing a vehicle that is gonna safely get people to and from work.”

Check out the video included in this story for the latest “On the Line” episode featuring New Flyer of America and its workforce opportunities.