HIGH POINT, N.C. — Thomas Built Buses celebrated a milestone on Tuesday with the delivery of its 50,000th Saf-T-Liner C2.

The landmark conventional school bus went to contractor Dean Transportation of Lansing, Mich.

“Dean Transportation’s commitment to provide best-in-class pupil transportation mirrors Thomas Built’s dedication to design and build the best buses on the road,” Thomas Built President and CEO Kelley Platt said. “I am thrilled to deliver this milestone bus to Dean Transportation, a company as focused on excellence, sustainability, community and the pupil transportation industry as we are.”

Thomas Built launched the Saf-T-Liner C2 model in 2004, basing it on extensive driver and customer input. The C2 was designed from the ground up and built in the High Point production facility created specifically to produce the innovative bus, which company officials said set “a new standard for safety, design and engineering innovation.”

The C2’s ergonomic driver cockpit and enhanced driver visibility are favorites with school bus drivers, according to Thomas Built. The multiplex wiring system shared by the body and chassis simplifies maintenance and troubleshooting for technicians. Also, the C2 offers a number of other features to enhance safety, including the use of structural adhesive to provide nearly double the strength of standard joining methods, company officials said.

With support from the Daimler organization, the C2 milestone was achieved through the combined efforts of two Daimler Trucks North America companies.

“Working together, Thomas Built Buses and Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation brought the school bus industry the most innovative school bus design and technology,” Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp. President Bob Harbin said. “Today, we both continue to set impressive examples as leaders in our product offerings, sustainable manufacturing practices and alternative-fuel offerings.”

Platt also recognized the company’s long-standing relationships with its employees and with the community, which she said contributed significantly to the company’s nearly 100 years of success in the area and to customer satisfaction with the C2.

“We have great pride in our employees’ dedication to building the best bus possible,” Platt said. “Their care and commitment help to ensure we are routinely exceeding customer expectations. As a company, we are focused and committed to building buses that meet and surpass the requirements of today so our customers will be ready to meet the pupil transportation needs of the future.”

Thomas Built utilizes more than 100 suppliers in North and South Carolina. Company officials said that, on average, $28,000 of the purchase price of each Saf-T-Liner C2 bus remains in the Carolinas.

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