Blue Bird school bus plant in Fort Valley looking to hire 200 workers for new second shift
Fort Valley's Blue Bird plant needs to build more school buses, so it's adding a second shift -- and about 200 more workers.
"Bus delivery for school start is a priority for our customers," Phil Horlock, president and CEO of Blue Bird Corp., said in a statement. "Adding a second shift will enable us to build more buses in the spring and summer seasons, ensuring our buses are delivered in time for the new school year and helping us continue to grow our market share."
Blue Bird has increased production in its Fort Valley plant by more than 50 percent in recent years to meet customer demand.
Blue Bird built nearly 10,400 buses in its 1-million-square-foot facility last year and expects to build between 10,800 and 11,000 buses this year.
Anyone interested in a job at Blue Bird should apply through the Georgia Department of Labor, said Melanie Pikosky, with TSN Communications.
Each new employee will receive training through Quick Start, Georgia's workforce development program. The Quick Start training for Blue Bird employees initially includes 40 hours of manufacturing skills with an additional 40 hours of welding, fabrication and software applications training.
Leadership development, as well as quality and safety training, is provided in addition to technical job skills.
"For more than 15 years, Quick Start has been a proud partner with Blue Bird providing customized training wherever and whenever it was needed," Jackie Rohosky, head of Quick Start and assistant commissioner for the Technical College System of Georgia's economic development programs, said in the statement. "Our training program prepares each employee before he or she steps into the plant," said John McKowen, vice president of manufacturing for Blue Bird.
Blue Bird is the leading independent designer and manufacturer of school buses, with more than 550,000 buses sold since the company formed in 1927 and about 180,000 buses in operation today. The company is the only manufacturer of chassis and body production specifically designed for school bus applications. Blue Bird manufactures school buses at two facilities in Fort Valley. Its Micro Bird joint venture operates a manufacturing facility in Drummondville, Quebec, Canada, and service and aftermarket parts are distributed from Blue Bird's distribution center in Delaware, Ohio.
Follow writer Linda S. Morris on Twitter @MidGaBiz.
This story was originally published March 23, 2016 at 6:29 PM with the headline "Blue Bird school bus plant in Fort Valley looking to hire 200 workers for new second shift ."