Today, 14/07/2014, the Woodall Nicholson Group, based in Westhoughton, Bolton UK, has acquired the intellectual property and manufacturing assets of the former Bluebird Vehicles Limited.

The deal will witness the Orion and Tucana low floor buses being brought into Woodall Nicholson’s Mellor bus business which manufactures a range of accessible bus and van conversions in its Rochdale factory.

It is understood that the deal will assist in saving jobs in Scarborough as it enables Bluebird Engineering Solutions to concentrate its resources upon its growing subcontract bus manufacturing facility.

Woodall Nicholson Managing Director Geoff Hudson commented;

“We are very proud to add the Bluebird range of buses to our automotive portfolio. The acquisition will generate more jobs in the North West and further strengthen the Mellor range of market leading accessible vehicles”.

Staff from Mellor Coachcraft will be in contact with Bluebird suppliers and customers in due course to provide them with further information and key contacts to enable a smooth transition and minimum impact on production.

This deal will underpin the growth and success of the Mellor business which has gone from strength to strength since the financially strong Woodall Nicholson was acquired by new investors in July 2013.

The Woodall Nicholson Group

• Based in the North West since the 1820’s
• Over 200 employees and a turnover of £26 million in 2013.
• Projected turnover in 2014 in excess of £30 million
• Three manufacturing divisions of the group including
  • Coleman Milne. UK’s largest supplier of ceremonial vehicles to the funeral sector
  • Mellor. Leading supplier of accessible vehicles up to 35 seats
  • CM Specialist Vehicle Division. Major player in the blue light emergency services sector
• Two manufacturing sites in Westhoughton and Rochdale with a total manufacturing space covering over 135,000 sqft
• Privately owned by a group of like-minded shareholders who intend to grow the business into a £100 million revenue Automotive Group