Omni makes a comeback
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• The award-winning Omni minibus is back in production, six months after the collapse of its original manufacturer, City Vehicle Engineering.
The new company, Ornni Bus, is headed by former CVE director Grant Lockhart. It is completing 16 partly built Omnis it bought from CVE's liquidator in March and has orders for 13 of them, all of them made to welfare specifications.
Full-scale production could start following the summer break in July, and a six-wheel 29-seat midibus version which was being developed by CVE might join the Omni line-up.
The company has moved into CVE's former base at Shildon, County Durham where it employs 12 of CVE's 140 staff. Lockhart hopes to double this figure if his company goes on to build new vehicles.
Omni Bus was launched in
April, initially selling parts to existing customers. Lockhart says the market "kept faith with the vehicle during the receivership. Normally when a company gets into trouble the market stops overnight."
CVE was set up in 1987 and bought the rights to build the Omni from Austrian manufacturer Steyr. The first Omnis were sold in the UK in 1988 but the firm hit financial problems and went into receivership with debts of millions of pounds.
Lockhart, who was commercial director of CVE, says he lost money as a result of the crash — Omni Bus has backers from outside the industry.
Omnis have done well in the welfare market: almost all are sold with rear doors and space for wheelchairs. They generally come with about 16 seats, but up to 23 can be fitted for commercial operation.