AmTran

History

During the late 1970s, the school bus manufacturing industry was in relative turmoil. From the early 1950s, the segment was dependent on student population growth related to the baby-boom generation. By the beginning of the 1980s, the last of the generation had completed their secondary education, leading to a decrease in student population growth across the United States.

At the time, Ward Body Works was among "the Big Six" full-line school bus manufacturers (alongside Blue Bird, Carpenter, Superior, Thomas, and Wayne). The declining economy of the late 1970s also cut into the profitability of all school bus manufacturers. Of the of "Big Six", Superior and Ward were the hardest hit. Following the 1975 closure of its secondary manufacturing facility in Pennsylvania, Ward amassed over $20 million in debt by 1979.

1980s: Reorganization

In July of 1980, Ward Industries filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. In the filing, the family-owned company declared $21.5 million in liabilities. As Ward Industries was a significant manufacturer in the central Arkansas region, the Wards sought for a way to keep the doors of the company open.

With company president Charles Ward selling off his stake in the company, Ward Industries was acquired by an investment group (assisted by then-Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton) named MBH, Inc. MBH was an acronym for the first letters of the last names of each of the 4 investors: Thomas E "Mack" McLarty, J.W. "Buddy" Benafield and two Kansas City brothers, R.L. "Dick" Harmon and Robert Harmon. McLarty and Benafield each held ⅓ ownership; the Harmon brothers together held the remaining ⅓ ownership. MBH reopened Ward Industries as American Transportation Corporation (AmTran). As Ward Industries continued to hold significant market share in the school bus segment, AmTran chose to retain the Ward brand name for school buses though non-school bus products adopted the AmTran brand in 1981.

Following the acquisition, the Ward family held no stake in AmTran; however, Steve Ward remained in the new company for vehicle distribution and marketing, having the exclusive rights to sell Ward/AmTran products in Arkansas, based in a dealership from Conway.

During the 1980s, AmTran would make several product introductions that would advance school bus design in several market segments. Although among the last large bus manufacturers to introduce a Type A school bus, AmTran was the first manufacturer to introduce a higher-capacity version, with five rows of seating instead of four seen at the time. For 1986, AmTran introduced the first large semi-forward control conventional with the introduction of the Ward/AmTran Patriot. Using a shortened version of the Chevrolet/GMC B-Series, the Patriot allowed for a shorter wheelbase and nose angle for improved forward visibility. Although not a success overally, the Patriot would go on to become a major influence on the later Thomas Vista.

In 1987, the structure of the Ward/AmTran body was received an exterior update, distinguished by a rubrail mounted below the window line. Much of this body structure is still used on IC Bus CE-Series and RE-Series product lines (as of 2017).

1990s: Acquisition and merger

In 1991, Navistar International acquired one-third of the stock of American Transportation Corporation; the purchase was initiated by Jerry Williams, the CEO of AmTran at the time. As part of the purchase, Navistar acquired an option to buy the rest of AmTran, which was completed in April 1995. Following the Navistar acquistion of AmTran, during the late 1990s, several school bus body manufacturers would become acquired with chassis manufacturers and suppliers.

Although the AmTran brand had been in use since 1981 on non-school buses, following the Navistar acquisition, the company began to rebrand its school buses. During 1992, the Ward Senator front-engine bus was replaced by the AmTran Genesis (with a Genesis by AmTran roof emblem). At the end of 1992, the AmTran brand replaced the Ward name on the rest of the school bus product lines. Navistar ownership would affect production of the Volunteer conventional; after 1991, the Volunteer was produced nearly exclusively on an International 3800 chassis (though Ford chassis remained a rarely ordered option to 1998).

For 1996, the AmTran line saw the introduction of the AmTran RE, the first rear-engine bus produced by AmTran/Ward in over 20 years. In contrast to other manufacturers, AmTran did not derive the body design for the rear-engine AmTran RE from its front-engine Genesis Type D bus.

For 1997, the Vanguard cutaway bus was discontinued along with the long-running Volunteer. AmTran chose to focus production exclusively on full-size buses, while the Volunteer was updated and replaced by the AmTran CS. Featuring an all-new drivers' compartment with updated controls, the CS was distinguished by an upright 4-piece windshield, further improving forward visibility.

In 1998, the AmTran Genesis was updated with a new grille and drivers compartment; to bring it in line with the AmTran RE, it was renamed the AmTran FE. Following the discontinuation of the Ford B700/B800 in 1998, the International 3800 became the sole chassis for the AmTran CS (as the Freightliner FS-65 chassis was produced by the parent company of competitor Thomas Built Buses).

2000-2002: Rebranding to IC Corporation

In 1999, AmTran announced plans to build a new facility in Tulsa, Oklahoma that would employ as many as 1200 people. As part of the plan, production of conventional school buses would move to Tulsa; the Conway, Arkansas facility would produce the lower-volume AmTran FE and AmTran RE.

In 2000, the company opened the Tulsa facility with the introduction of the IC, a new generation of the CS. Branded as a fully integrated conventional, the IC was branded not as an AmTran, but as an International; the company noted the integration of the production of the bus within the Navistar corporate structure. Still based on the International 3800, the International IC was distinguished with its own hood design. The drivers compartment of the AmTran RE received an update, receiving a redesign to the drivers' controls.

During 2001 production, AmTran followed suit on the AmTran FE and AmTran RE buses, replacing the AmTran roof badging with International roof badging. During 2001, Navistar legally changed the name of its bus subsidiary to "International Truck and Bus", although "American Transportation Corporation" lettering remained on the vehicles into 2002. For 2003 production, AmTran was phased out completely as International Truck and Bus replaced by Integrated Coach Corporation (IC Corporation, IC Bus since 2008).

Facilities

AmTran buses were produced in the former Ward factory in Conway, Arkansas. In 1999, the company expanded production capacity as it began construction on a second plant in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Coinciding with the introduction of the IC conventional bus, the Tulsa facility would take over production of all conventional bus bodies; the Conway factory remained in production for transit-style buses. Following the discontinuation of the FE-Series transit-style bus in 2010, full-scale bus production ended in Conway in January 2010, but successor company IC Bus utilizes the factory for parts fabrication and production.