OTTAWA, Ohio — A new line of small school buses is slated to roll out in 2017.

A new company called Titan Bus Co. LLC, based in Ottawa, Ohio, will soon start production of its own take on Type A school buses.

Brian Barrington, senior vice president of Titan Bus, said in an interview that the startup will be a “nimble” player in the market, banking on the ability to quickly react to customers’ requests and offer them a personal touch.

“Doing things people want and doing things differently — that’s something we’re going to hang our hat on,” said Barrington, a 20-plus year veteran of the school bus industry.

One of the distinctions of the Titan Bus line will be a wider body and entry door for easier passenger entry and on-board maneuverability, Barrington said. A 92-inch-wide interior dual rear wheel model will allow a 14-inch aisle (with 39-inch seats) and a 30-inch-wide entrance door.

A single rear wheel model will offer three/two seating configurations, providing 20-passenger capacity in a body with four window sections.

The Titan buses will be built on General Motors (GM) and Ford chassis configurations, including the Ford Transit chassis. The product line will include flat floor special-needs variations of the GM and Ford E-Series models.

The company’s Type A school buses will boast features like 5/8-inch plywood floors, tinted glass, LED lighting, and one-piece flooring as standard equipment. Another standard feature on the vehicles will be a multiplex electrical system, which Barrington said will be a first for the Type A school bus segment.

Titan expects to begin production in the second quarter of this year and to debut its new products over the next several months. Barrington will meet with attendees at next month’s School Bus eXchange in Scottsdale, Arizona, as well at various trade shows throughout the summer.

Titan Bus can be found online at www.titanbus.net and on Facebook and LinkedIn. The company can be reached by phone at (419) 523-3593.