(BRK.A), (BRK.B)
Ready to take a flight on your private jet? Well, you can’t just roll out on the tarmac in any old shuttle bus. You need a shuttle bus with oodles of fine leather, USB ports for every seat, and LED mood lighting.
Berkshire Hathaway’s RV and bus manufacturer, Forest River, has added a luxury bus product line to its existing buses. The move comes because of feedback from its dealers. Forest River is the largest shuttle bus manufacturer in the United States, but didn’t have a specific luxury division.
The new luxury shuttle bus division has been dubbed Berkshire Coach, and will operate separately from Forest River’s Elkhart Coach, Glaval Bus, Starcraft Bus, and Startrans bus companies.
Berkshire Coach is building its shuttle buses at its recently acquired facility in Elkhart, Indiana. Formerly the Ameritrans Bus facility, it was acquired by Forest River in July 2016. Berkshire Coach currently has 25 employees and is projecting an expansion to 75 employees by the end of 2017.
According to Berkshire Coach, what sets the new luxury buses a part from the competition is the wide range of standard features, including Ultra Lux seating, roof-mounted, center aisle, ducted heating and air conditioning system, individual USB ports, seat belts, overhead Hadley Swan premium luggage racks and mood-setting LED lighting. The luxury cabin is further enhanced by wood-look composite flooring, suede finishes, frameless windows, panoramic skyview front window and 19” LED monitors located in the front of the coach.
David Wright, Senior General Manager at Forest River, states, “When we decided to launch a brand new division almost a year ago, we made the commitment to build America’s best luxury bus. After months of research and development and spending extensive time with our dealers and their customers, we are proud to introduce the Berkshire Ultra. Berkshire Coach’s intelligent luxury offers a product and experience that is unparalleled in the industry today.”
Troy Snyder, General Manager of Berkshire Coach, added, “We simplified the process for our customers and their dealers by making all luxury options standard equipment and backing it all with the most complete warranty in the industry. From Ultra Lux seating to individual USB ports at each seat, and everything inbetwe en, it all comes standard and is covered with the industry’s most comprehensive 5-year/100,000 mile warranty.”
© 2017 David Mazor
Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell the stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.