A bigger, better bus facility at W.J. Grande Industrial Park: 30-plus jobs move from Mechanicville to Saratoga Springs
2/17/2012
A bigger, better bus facility at W.J. Grande Industrial Park: 30-plus jobs move from Mechanicville to Saratoga Springs
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Leonard Bus Sales Inc., a distributor of school and commercial buses in New York, has opened a full-service facility in the W.J. Grande Industrial Park in Saratoga Springs. The 32,000-square-foot purpose-built facility provides bus sales, service and parts.
Leonard Bus Sales Inc. is a third-generation family-owned bus distributor of IC Bus, Trans Tech Bus, Champion Bus and General Coach America products.
The new facility replaces Leonard’s former facility in Mechanicville in an area that is being developed for The Esplanade, a large mixed-use project along the Hudson River. Leonard had been located in Mechanicville since 1997.
The Saratoga Springs facility is significantly larger than the Mechanicville facility, which was about 24,000 square feet and had 12 service bays.
The new facility occupies more than 16 acres and features 17 full-service bays (12 of which are drive-through), a 7,000-square-foot parts department, a 60,000-pound lift, and a parking lot that can accommodate 244 buses.
The facility serves 14 counties in the Capital District and North Country and employs about 30 full- and part-time employees, including numerous certified technicians.
"Our Mechanicville facility was the busiest of our four regional full-service facilities in terms of the volume of bus deliveries and service. Being able to stay in Saratoga County was key to our strategy for serving important markets in the Capital District and North Country," Leonard Bus Sales President Mike Leonard said in a press release.
"Customer support is the cornerstone of our business, so we look forward to providing enhanced capabilities and efficiencies to our customers here. We hope to grow along with the region," he said.
Site preparation and construction of the Saratoga Springs facility took place between April and December of last year. Construction was overseen by local contractor Munter Enterprises Inc. Building-related products and services were provided mainly by local vendors.
Since 1965, LBS has provided bus sales, service and parts to clients in upstate New York.
Headquartered in Deposit, Leonard now has full-service facilities in Deposit, Saratoga Springs, Rome and Bergen.
For more information, go to www.leonardbus.com or call 664-9253.