Tulsa World: IC Corp. shifts work to Tulsa

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IC Corp. shifts work to Tulsa
The school-bus maker tells workers in Conway, Ark., that its bus assembly plant is closing.

IC Corp. is closing an Arkansas plant and bringing the work to Tulsa, but no jobs will be added, at least for now. PRNewsFoto/ IC Bus, LLC

By KYLE ARNOLD World Staff Writer
Published: 11/7/2009 2:25 AM
Last Modified: 11/7/2009 4:19 AM

School-bus maker IC Corp. is shuttering an Arkansas assembly plant and moving the work to Tulsa, but the closure won't mean any new jobs here, at least for now.

Management broke the news to workers in Conway, Ark., on Thursday.

A company spokesman cited the economic downturn and tighter budgets at school districts across the nation.

"The market is very, very slow and school districts aren't ordering many buses," said Roy Wiley, a spokesman for IC Corp.'s parent company, Warrenville, Ill.-based Navistar Inc.

The closure affects up to 477 employees in Conway, he said, and the plant could start layoffs as early as Jan. 4.

Wiley said the company chose to keep the Tulsa factory open because it is newer, having started operations in 2000.

The Conway plant is more than 40 years old, he said. However, the company has been manufacturing buses in Conway since the 1930s.

Wiley said moving to one assembly facility will help cut duplication, and the newer technology in Tulsa will make production more efficient. The Tulsa plant is also larger, with about 1,000 employees who assemble more than 10,000 buses each year.

IC Corp. has a bus-parts fabrication plant in Conway that it plans to keep open.

While Wiley said the company would not immediately increase its employment at the Tulsa factory, located at 2322 N. Mingo Road, it will be the company's only school bus assembly facility, so more workers could be hired if orders rise.

"At some

point in time when schools get money, we'll increase production and hire some temporary workers, but not right now," he said.

Kyle Arnold 581-8380
kyle.arnold@tulsaworld.com By KYLE ARNOLD World Staff Writer

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Some reader comments for this story were copied from "School bus maker closing Arkansas plant," which was published on 11/6/2009.

	Report Comment KansasSooner, Prefer the country (11/6/2009 6:43:43 PM) Wonder how Conway feels about all that promised hope and change.
	Report Comment Dad, Up North (11/6/2009 11:09:31 PM) I work at the Tulsa plant. We were told 250 people will be hired and we are expanding our production. Sad to hear about the Conway plant.
	Report Comment Dad, Up North (11/6/2009 11:41:03 PM) Hey max.......we start with a roll of steel and end with a school bus. 60+ school buses a day, four days a week.
	Report Comment FUTURE WORLD, Tulsa (11/6/2009 11:13:28 PM) It's good to know Tulsa plants seem to be retaining and gaining manufacturing jobs. American Airlines is expanding in Tulsa and the Tulsa Bus Plant. Let's hope it lasts.
	Report Comment FUTURE WORLD, Tulsa (11/6/2009 11:29:00 PM) Its a light industry manufacturing plant. I suppose I could have used the word Production. But they do make buses like Ford assembles cars. And they are a heavy industry manufacturing company.
	Report Comment Justun, tulsa (11/6/2009 6:41:02 PM) I have a nephew works at the Tulsa site. Demanding job is what he says about it...no slackers allowed.
	Report Comment Newsmax, Tulsa - MidTown (11/6/2009 11:19:31 PM) Future, the bus plant assembles buses, they actually don't make a product from scratch. If my sources are right a lot of the bus components come from oversees and Mexico. This type of manufacturing is not helping America get back on track. But what do I know, I take my clothes off for a living!
	Report Comment ILoVeSaMoLuV, tulsa (11/7/2009 1:23:37 PM) Ya i work there. It is tough. Sad to hear that about conway, but im glad its them and not us. Wish our company would have gave us a clue about what was happening. I guess when its our turn we will read it in the paper 1st. Hope that day never comes. Hey max what do you know, besides how to climb a pole. You should come work at the plant so you can see what we do. We probably support you anyways.
	Report Comment FS, Broken Arrow (11/8/2009 10:07:42 AM) FUTURE WORLD, Tulsa (11/6/2009 11:13:28 PM) It's good to know Tulsa plants seem to be retaining and gaining manufacturing jobs. American Airlines is expanding in Tulsa and the Tulsa Bus Plant. Let's hope it lasts. ____________________________ Not to refute your news, but I work at American and haven't heard a thing about expansion. As a matter of fact, a layoff of 700 has been threatened. Then again, that could be a business strategy between the company and the company union (TWU). I hope you're not referring to that friggin' tent the city built for them as an expansion.
	Report Comment Webmeister, Tulsa (11/6/2009 10:53:12 PM) Arkansas Governor Beebe and the two U.S. Senators are Democrats. Welcome to the Recession Party, pals.
	Report Comment 007, Tulsa (11/6/2009 7:04:59 PM) well arkansas has a good republican governor....this should have never happened!
	Report Comment 007, Tulsa (11/7/2009 10:21:03 AM) you guys are right I was thinking about last governor. By the way Newsmax, thanks for the lap dance the other night.
	Report Comment hadenuf, (11/6/2009 9:37:45 PM) Wow 007, that's certainly good news. When did Gov. Beebe switch party affiliation? Maybe he can talk Senator's Pryor and Lincoln into switching also???
	Report Comment cherokee4, (11/8/2009 7:45:55 PM) I worked at the Conway plant for many yrs. my advice to all of you at Tulsa is don't turn your back. What a lot of people dont remember is Navistar has to keep x number of people working at the Tulsa plant for 15 yrs to keep their $1 a yr. lease. If they dont they will have to pay a "HUGH"penality. So scape goat Conway gets the boot.
	Report Comment Shanghai Free Trade Zone, (11/9/2009 11:39:40 PM) It is good news. We look forward to the assembly line here in the future. Mr. An Jin.

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