New bus unveiled

Monday, January 8, 2007
Connie Jo Discoe

BCI, "Bus & Coach International," welcomes visitors to its new facility in Jennings and unveils the "Falcon 45," the new motor coach bus that the company will build to break into the new bus industry in the United States. Every new bus sold will mean a used bus to refurbish, company president Bob Oldridge told the 300-or-so people at Saturday's grand opening, and it will be in the Jennings facility -- the community's former school building -- that used buses will be refurbished, "good as new, or even better." Oldridge said that his and his company's dream is to move its corporate offices to Jennings and to construct a new 20,000-square-foot facility to also build new transit buses. Vital to the company's plans, Oldridge said, is the construction of an airport facility with a 7,000-foot runway to facilitate parts distribution in 48 states within 24 hours. Oldridge said, "We're a responsible corporation. We're investing in this community. It's a long-term project for us. We're sticking our roots down long and deep."