Universal Coach Lines New J4500

Universal Coach Lines woos demanding Chinese market with three new MCI® J4500s

SCHAUMBURG, IL — June 6, 2013 —

 When Canada won China's Approved Destination Status in 2010, Universal Coach Lines knew business might boom — after all, the Vancouver-area company had been ably serving the Asian market since 1996. Nearly three years later, business from China is indeed up about 200 percent. And to meet the demand, the company has taken delivery of three 2013 MCI J4500s.

"The Chinese market has been a real bright spot for us," said Lindsay Moir, Universal Coach Lines vice president. "It's a very demanding market. They demand the best, and they're always looking for the newest. These coaches allow us to put our best foot forward."

The new MCI J4500s feature many model-year improvements, including dramatic new LED headlights, a taller appearance and a host of performance updates, including a more fuel-efficient, clean-diesel powertrain. Universal Coach Lines additionally opted for a Wi-Fi hub and 110-volt outlets to meet market expectations.

Moir, who values uniformity in the fleet, says the new MCI J4500s fit in well with the rest of the company's nearly 100 coaches — many of which are earlier-model J4500s. The company has turned to the J4500 time again because of its combination of curb appeal, reliability and relatively low operating cost — and because of MCI's after-sale support network.

"We've received fantastic service at every level, from the sales executives to the technicians," said Moir. "MCI is just an amazing organization."

Universal Coach Lines is the third-largest privately owned coach operator in Canada. It maintains coaches in its main facilities in Vancouver, Calgary and Los Angeles, plus it runs satellite offices in Victoria, British Columbia; Edmonton, Alberta; and Seattle. The company employs about 200 people and logs about five million miles a year, with about half of its business in serving passenger groups from Asia. It was also the second-largest provider of coaches to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and supplied transportation to the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City as well.

The company prides itself on its customer service. "If a client that used us in 1996 is still in business, they're still using us," said Moir. "It's one of the joys of our business and one of the reasons we buy this type of equipment. We want the best for our clients, so we reinvest."

About MCI

Headquartered in Schaumburg, Illinois, Motor Coach Industries (MCI) is the leading intercity coach manufacturer in the United States and Canada, with sales, service and repair facilities in both countries. MCI's D-Series is the best-selling line of coaches in industry history, with more than 13,000 units built. Its J4500 coach model has been the industry's best-selling intercity coach for nine consecutive years. MCI is also the distributor of the Setra S 417, Setra S 407 and Setra parts in the U.S. and Canada. The company offers 24-hour technical support and industry-leading technician training along with the market's most extensive aftermarket parts and repair service.