IMMI, Blue Bird Open New Manufacturing Plant in Georgia
IMMI’s new 75,000 square-foot facility in Macon will produce school bus seats for Georgia-based Blue Bird Corporation, creating 80 American manufacturing jobs.
IMMI and Blue Bird executives stand in front of the ceremonial ribbon at the new Macon facility on Oct. 2
Photo: George Brennan/SBF
2 min to read
School bus seating manufacturer IMMI and school bus OEM Blue Bird celebrated the grand opening of a joint manufacturing facility in Macon, Georgia, today, Oct. 2, and School Bus Fleet was on the scene to see it up close.
IMMI’s new 75,000 square-foot plant will support Blue Bird buses after the company announced equipping select models with safety upgrades, including three-point seat belts as standard protection for all student passengers and a steering wheel-deployed air bag to safeguard school bus drivers.
Ad Loading...
“Today, not only do we celebrate safety leadership alongside our partner Blue Bird, we also are thrilled to add 80 good-paying U.S. manufacturing jobs to middle Georgia,” said Larry Gray, CEO of IMMI.
The new facility is expected to open up about 80 new jobs for Americans in Georgia.
Photo: George Brennan/SBF
“We are also here to recognize Blue Bird’s continued commitment to advancing school bus safety by being the first school bus manufacturer to make lap-shoulder belts standard on their buses and provide frontal airbags to protect school bus drivers in communities across the United States,” added Norm Gould III, school bus president & IMMI CFO.
IMMI’s 4Front airbag safety system will also be standard safety equipment on Blue Bird’s Vision school buses beginning this month.
“Every day, millions of children travel on our buses to school and back home. They are the most precious cargo in the world,” said John Wyskiel, president and CEO of Blue Bird Corporation. “For nearly 100 years, Blue Bird has led the way in school bus safety. We partnered with IMMI to bring industry-first, standard student and driver safety systems to school districts in North America. We are thrilled that our joint commitment to safety drives investments, manufacturing expansion, and job growth in our home state and beyond.”
Jon Wyskiel, Blue Bird president and CEO, addresses stakeholders and media at the celebration event.
Photo: George Brennan/SBF
Under the brand SafeGuard, IMMI’s Macon facility manufactures state-of-the-art school bus seats. Blue Bird was the first school bus manufacturer to announce in 2024 that lap-shoulder belts would be standard safety equipment on their school bus seats.
Ad Loading...
“The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have called for school bus manufacturers to provide lap-shoulder belts for the 25 million plus children who ride on buses every year, and Blue Bird has answered that call,” added Wyskiel.
As demand increases for IMMI SafeGuard’s lap-shoulder belt seats, IMMI expects to add more jobs to its workforce in Macon.
“Illinois recently passed legislation joining eight other U.S. states mandating lap-shoulder belts on new school buses,” said Gray. “We expect other states to follow suit as they recognize that even on the safest vehicles on the road, which are school buses, seat belts continue to save lives and reduce injuries.”
Driver shortages, safety expectations, and staffing limits define student transportation in 2026. New survey data shows how fleet leaders are responding.
The federal agency's report asks NHTSA to require all new school buses to be equipped with vehicle-integrated alcohol detection systems and passenger lap-shoulder belts.
Student transportation teams are being asked to do more with less, facing driver shortages, rising costs, and increasing safety expectations. This report uncovers how fleets are adapting, where technology is making the biggest impact, and why student ridership tracking is emerging as a top priority. Download the report to explore the key trends shaping 2026 and what they mean for your operation.
A Carroll County accident claimed the lives of two students and injured over a dozen others on a March 27 field trip for eighth graders at Clarksville-Montgomery County. A preliminary report adds new information to the story.
From driver shortage solutions in Tennessee and rural connectivity debates in Utah to new safety laws in Wisconsin and ongoing electric bus mandate discussions in New York and Connecticut, here’s the latest in school bus legislation across the U.S.
Waymo’s self-driving vehicles are under fire again after repeated school bus passing violations, raising questions about safety, remote operators, and regulation.
Distracted driving continues to pose serious risks in school zones, with new data and driver insights highlighting ongoing concerns and potential solutions to improve student and roadway safety.
A former airline pilot has stepped into a new role at the independent federal agency, but where does he stand on issues like seat belts on school buses? Here’s what he’s said.
Two recent close calls at railroad crossings, a train clipping a bus and a rear-end crash, highlight why vigilance and training still matter. Here’s what happened and what to tell your own drivers.
The federal agency's proposed rulemaking would eliminate the requirement for school buses to come to a complete stop at railroad crossings if the warning device is not activated. The goal: to improve traffic flow and save costs. With new data released, public comment is open through April 27, 2026.
