LISLE, Ill. — With the recent acquisition of Brattain International, Peterson Trucks Inc. is now the official IC Bus dealer for the entire state of Oregon.
 
As part of the acquisition, Peterson Trucks adds Brattain’s five Oregon locations in Portland, Salem, Albany, Eugene, and Bend to its already established footprint in the San Francisco Bay Area and California’s north coast, according to the school bus manufacturer. All five of the locations have already been rebranded to Peterson Trucks.

“Peterson is a well-respected dealer throughout northern California, and we are excited to have their expertise brought to Oregon,” said Trish Reed, vice president and general manager of IC Bus. “There is great opportunity for IC Bus to grow in Oregon, and the Peterson organization has the people and tools to support our customers and help us do that.”

To help ensure a smooth transition, all Brattain employees were given the opportunity to apply for positions at Peterson. In many cases, customers will have the same exact representative they had with Brattain, according to IC Bus, and those who don’t have already been contacted for an introduction to their new representative.

Peterson is focused on helping its new customers and improving on Brattain’s established methods.

“You can expect to see many improvements building upon what was already being done well,” said Tom Bagwell, executive vice president of Peterson Trucks. “On the bus side, we’re going to offer improved service, a greater selection and availability of parts inventory, and more vehicles available for purchase. Our bus customers have the single most important task: keeping our children safe; and we’re dedicated to doing whatever we can to help that cause.”

Peterson Trucks is also offering training opportunities focused on safety, technicians, fleet management, and leadership online and in person. The dealership is also developing an uptime command center to help keep buses on the road.