– LONDON, April 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Today in Annonay, France, the President of the French Republic, Francois Hollande, visited the bus and coach manufacturing facility of IVECO BUS, a brand of CNH Industrial N.V. (NYSE: CNHI /MI: CNHI). The President’s visit paid tribute to the site’s century of established experience in the production of buses and coaches, the only one of its kind in the country today.
President Hollande closely observed the manufacturing process and learned about the principles and implementation of the World Class Manufacturing program. The Annonay site hosts two production lines: one for city buses and the other for coaches, specifically the Magelys product line which was elected “Coach of the Year 2016.” The President visited the line dedicated to producing city buses for product ranges such as the Urbanway and top range Crealis, which is available in Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), biomethane or hybrid versions. Buses running on alternative power currently represent over 50% of the site’s production thus making of IVECO BUS a leader in this field. This wide product range is able to satisfy the needs of the people transport sector and in turn has established IVECO BUS as France’s leading brand and the current number two in Europe.
In his address, President Hollande thanked site employees for their dedication to this important industrial activity. He further recalled how the policies of the present administration favor the success of this sector in terms of export. The support of French institutions has seen many positive results including the current circulation of 151 Crealis natural gas buses in Baku, Azerbaijan, and 350 Urbanway city buses in Astana, Kazakhstan, both of which are Annonay-built vehicles.
Pierre Lahutte, IVECO Brand President, thanked President Hollande for his visit, underlining the importance of energy transition, which has become a reality for IVECO BUS. The brand has produced more Urbanway and Crealis city buses with low-emission engines (CNG, biomethane and hybrid-electric) – some 55% – than Euro VI diesel buses in 2016. He also highlighted the importance of the “Origine France Garantie” certification, which was conferred to Annonay in 2013. This certification guarantees a French origin of a minimum of 50% in manufactured products, giving certified companies access to the French credit insurer COFACE’s Export Insurance for large contracts such as those mentioned above in Astana and Baku.
IVECO BUS prides itself on its high quality, which depends on a network of more than 250 domestic suppliers. Beyond guaranteeing the origin of a product, the appreciation of its value also means appreciating those who work to produce it with great professionalism and know-how. Over 1,300 individuals are employed at Annonay, covering 37 different specialties.
At the conclusion of his visit, President Hollande presented the “Elyse’e Medal” to the IVECO BUS plant. Today marked the first visit of a French President to the city of Annonay since General De Gaulle in 1961.
CNH IndustrialN.V. (NYSE: CNHI /MI: CNHI) is a global leader in the capital goods sector with established industrial experience, a wide range of products and a worldwide presence. Each of the individual brands belonging to the Company is a major international force in its specific industrial sector: Case IH, New Holland Agriculture and Steyr for tractors and agricultural machinery; Case and New Holland Construction for earth moving equipment; Iveco for commercial vehicles; Iveco Bus and Heuliez Bus for buses and coaches; Iveco Astra for quarry and construction vehicles; Magirus for firefighting vehicles; Iveco Defence Vehicles for defence and civil protection; and FPT Industrial for engines and transmissions. More information can be found on the corporate website: www.cnhindustrial.com
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