Volgren

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title: "Volgren" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["bus-manufacturers-of-australia", "vehicle-manufacturing-companies-established-in-1977", "australian-companies-established-in-1977", "dandenong", "manufacturing-companies-based-in-melbourne", "australian-subsidiaries-of-foreign-companies"] description: "Australian bus manufacturer" topic_path: "geography/australia" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volgren" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Australian bus manufacturer ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox company"]

Field	Value
name	Volgren Australia
image	File:Transperth Volvo B8RLE TP2963.jpg
image_caption	A Transperth Volvo B8RLE with Volgren Optimus bodywork at Bull Creek railway station
type	Subsidiary
foundation
location	Dandenong
locations	Dandenong
Malaga
Eagle Farm
key_people	Thiago Deiro
(CEO)
num_employees	560 (June 2011)
industry	Bus manufacturing
revenue	$207.1 million (June 2011)
parent	Marcopolo
homepage	www.volgren.com.au
::

|name = Volgren Australia |logo = |image = File:Transperth Volvo B8RLE TP2963.jpg |image_caption = A Transperth Volvo B8RLE with Volgren Optimus bodywork at Bull Creek railway station |type = Subsidiary |traded_as = |company_slogan = |foundation = |location = Dandenong |locations = Dandenong Malaga Eagle Farm |key_people = Thiago Deiro (CEO) |num_employees = 560 (June 2011) |industry = Bus manufacturing |revenue = $207.1 million (June 2011) |net_income = |parent = Marcopolo |homepage = www.volgren.com.au}}

Volgren is an Australian bus and coach body manufacturer.

History

Volgren was formed in 1977 by Melbourne bus operator Grenda Corporation in Dandenong, Victoria. Because Grenda held the Volvo Buses dealership in Victoria, only chassis from this manufacturer were bodied until 1989 when the dealership was relinquished.

The name is a portmanteau of the two original investors, Volvo and Grenda.

In 1981, a plant was established in Acacia Ridge, Queensland by Grenda Corporation, Hornibrook Bus Lines's Geoff Mountjoy, Greyhound Northern and Stateliner. It bodied some Volvo B59 and B10Rs for Hornibrook Bus Lines and Surfside Buslines before concentrating on Twin and Double Deck Volvo B10M coaches. This closed in the late 1980s.

In December 2011, Brazilian bus manufacturer Marcopolo acquired a 75% shareholding. In April 2014 this was increased to 100%.

Manufacturing facilities

Current factories:

• Dandenong, Victoria (VG) completed Volgren's first bus in October 1979
• Malaga, Western Australia (VP) opened in April 1999 to fulfill a contract to body Mercedes-Benz O405NHs for Transperth
• Eagle Farm, Queensland (VQ) opened in February 2010 Former factories:
• Tomago, New South Wales (VT) opened in March 2010, closed July 2012

Products

City Buses

• Optimus
• CR228L
• CR227L
• CR226L
• CR225L
• CR224L
• CR223L
• CR222L
• CR221L

Coaches

• Endura
• SC222
• SC221

Operators

Volgren have bodied a number of buses for Asian and Australian operators:

Australia

• ComfortDelGro Australia
• Transdev Australasia
• Ventura Bus Lines
• Transperth
• Kinetic Group

Asia

• Hong Kong
  • Kowloon Motor Bus formerly operated 1 Volvo B9TL, 17 MAN 24.310 HOCLNR-NLs and 21 Volvo Super Olympians.
  • Citybus formerly operated 1 MAN 24.350 HOCLNR-NL and 1 Scania K94UB
• Singapore
  • SBS Transit formerly operated 50 Volvo Super Olympians, a diesel powered Volvo B10BLE, a Scania L94UB, a Volvo Super Olympian prototype, a Mercedes-Benz O405G prototype, a Volvo B5RLEH and 12 CNG-powered Volvo B10BLEs.
  • SMRT Buses formerly operated 15 Mercedes-Benz O405s, 11 Hino HS3KRKKs and a HS3KRKA, 2 Dennis Lances and 21 Mercedes-Benz O405Gs.
• Malaysia, a substantial number of buses were fitted with the Volgren bodywork as well. Examples can be found in the capital Kuala Lumpur, Shah Alam and Johor Bahru, state capital of Johor.
• Japan
  • Nishi-Nippon Railroad bus, Toei Bus, Niigata Kotsu and Nara Kotsu currently operates Scania K360UA6×2/2LB with Optimus body. The body of these buses is 5 centimeters narrower than normal ones.

Gallery

File:Volvo B10BLE SBS Transit SBS2998J.jpg|SBS Transit CNG powered Volvo B10BLE with Volgren CR222L bodywork File:KR6560@58X.jpg|Kowloon Motor Bus MAN 24.310 with Volgren CR223LD bodywork File:Volgren Toei.jpg|Toei Bus Scania N280UB with Volgren Optimus bodywork File:CDC Volvo B7RLE CR228L.jpg|CDC Melbourne Volvo B7RLE with Volgren CR228L bodywork File:B7L CR221L.jpg|CDC Melbourne Volvo B7L with Volgren CR221L bodywork File:Brisbane Transport Volgren CR224L bodied Scania L94UB CNG.jpg|Brisbane Transport Scania L94UB CNG with Volgren CR224L bodywork File:Volgren bodied bus operated by Cooma Coaches.jpg|a Cooma coaches Volvo B7RLE with a Volgren CR228L bodywork

References

References

1. link. (4 July 2013 Greater Dandenong)
2. "Industry News" ''Australian Bus Panorama'' 4/6 May 1989 page 5
3. [http://www.roadtransporthall.com/m/1139-03-mountjoy-geoff.html Geoff Mountjoy] {{webarchive. link. (20 April 2013 National Road Transport Hall of Fame)
4. [http://www.volvodemort.com/hidecks.html Volgren Queensland (Acacia Ridge) Production] Volvodemort
5. [http://www.volgren.com.au/news/news/volgren-press-release-13122011 Volgren Press Release] {{Webarchive. link. (27 February 2014 Volgren 13 December 2011)
6. [https://www.busnews.com.au/industry-news/1704/marcopolo-secures-remaining-stake-in-volgren Marcopolo acquires remaining stake in Volgren] ''Australasia Bus & Coach'' 7 April 2017
7. link. (17 September 2013 Bus Australia Fleet Lists)
8. "Volgren, Malaga" ''Fleetline'' May 1999 page 76
9. [https://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/Pages/Court/1999/04/Volgren-Australia's-bus-assembly-plant-opens-at-Malaga.aspx Volgren Australia's bus assembly plant opens at Malaga] {{Webarchive. link. (5 March 2016 Government of Western Australia 21 April 1999)
10. [http://www.volgren.com.au/news/news/media-release-03022010 First bus rolls off Brisbane production line] {{Webarchive. link. (27 February 2014 Volgren 3 February 2010)
11. [http://www.volgren.com.au/news/news/media-release-15032010 Job creating bus building factory opens] {{Webarchive. link. (27 February 2014 Volgren 15 March 2010)
12. [https://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-07-23/bus-plant-shut/4148312 Volgren stops bus production at Tomago] ABC News 23 July 2012

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::