| Author | Message | ||
| Douglas Wotring (Tekebird)
Registered Member Username: Tekebird Post Number: 388 Registered: 10-2004 Posted From: 71.59.75.212 Rating: N/A |
Friday, October 20, 2006 THE EAGLE IS BACK RV Business Thursday, October 19, 2006 The Silver Eagle bus is back and soon will be appearing at a concert or in a campground near you. Craig Hanloh and three business partners, none of whom are affiliated with the former owners, have revived the historic name. They are building Silver Eagle “shells” in a factory in Brownsville, Texas, and doing business under the name Silver Eagle Bus Manufacturing Inc. Hanloh serves as COO while his wife, Robin, is CEO for the fledgling company and his brother, Blair, is CFO. There is a fourth, unnamed investor. The new owners are targeting the motorhome and entertainment industry with their Model 25, an updated version of the Silver Eagle luxury bus that first appeared in Europe in 1956 and later made its way to the U.S. No new Eagle buses have been made for the U.S. market since Eagle Coach Corp. went bankrupt several years ago. The new business partners purchased the original molds, tooling and blueprints of previous models and moved them into a 68,000-square-foot leased facility in Brownsville. They’re building a demo bus for the seated or commercial market and a “shell,” which they call the Model 25, for the motorhome and entertainment industry. Model 25 is 45 feet long (40 feet for the “House Car” motorhome version) and 102 inches wide. “It’s Eagle’s answer to Prevost’s H3-45 VIP,” Hanloh said, noting it features more floor-to-ceiling headroom than the Prevost. The shells will cost around $250,000 and require final interior conversion by upfitters after purchase. The new owners say they are committed to building a bus with the same smooth ride and quality that was a hallmark of the original Eagle. The new Silver Eagles feature a torsion suspension, tag axles, sharper turning radius, modern electronics and disc brakes. The company offers a choice of engines, including motors from Cummins, Caterpillar and the Detroit Diesel Series 60. And, with the exception of the exterior windows, the new Eagles will have the same traditional look and are available with either stainless steel or aluminum exteriors. The company has two production lines in the works and is currently filling eight orders scheduled for completion in mid-November. “We have more orders than we can produce,” Hanloh said, adding that the firm also is making replacement parts available for older models. The Hanlohs decided to go after the original Eagle business about two years ago when they were living in Nashville and converting a Prevost shell. They learned that the Eagle brand had gone out of business and began to consider reviving it. Ultimately, they discovered the tooling in Aguascalientes, Mexico, where the Eagle was last built, and purchased it out of bankruptcy. They began production in spring 2005. With a goal of producing two shells a week, they are targeting the entertainment industry based in Nashville. “We did our homework and discovered a market,” Hanloh explained. Silver Eagles can accommodate up to four slideouts, but Hanloh has learned that entertainers don’t like slides because they curtail movement inside while the coaches are in motion, he said. Meanwhile, Hanloh said his company was nearing an agreement with a Mexican client to provide an entirely separate line of 50-seat passenger buses. “They want the coaches down there the first of the year,” he said. “You never know how things fall into place.” That contract will allow Hanloh to bring employment up to around 80 workers by the end of the year. They also plan to build the original Model 15s and 20s for the domestic seated market. “A lot of touring companies want to go back to the Eagles,” Hanloh noted. Both models are government-approved. The company maintains an inventory of new, used and refurbished parts for all models of Eagle buses. Parts have been purchased from different sources in the U.S. and Mexico, and Eagle is fabricating some of its own hard-to-get parts. The company’s website: www.silvereaglebus.com. | ||
| Mark Morgan (Stormcloud)
Registered Member Username: Stormcloud Post Number: 2 Registered: 9-2008 Posted From: 216.36.188.174 Rating: N/A |
Although this is old news (over 2 years it appears), I wish them well in their endeavours. Eighty more employed people is also a good thing. | ||
| Van (Van)
Registered Member Username: Van Post Number: 79 Registered: 7-2008 Posted From: 72.193.19.183 Rating: N/A |
[IMG]http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq292/cwvanhagen/silver20eagle20bus20plaza.jpg[/IMG] NICE! (Message edited by van on December 11, 2008) | ||
| Paul Lawry (Dreamscape)
Registered Member Username: Dreamscape Post Number: 406 Registered: 5-2007 Posted From: 217.35.103.132  Rating: N/A |
Oh Dear..............Here we go..........Again........ | ||
| Nellie Wilson (Vivianellie)
Registered Member Username: Vivianellie Post Number: 70 Registered: 11-2008 Posted From: 70.49.115.60  Rating: N/A |
Send me two... no, three... of them suckers. I'll fit 'em out myself. Put 'em on my Visa. The Gov will bail me out... I'm pretty sure. Nellie Wilso | ||
| Patrick levenson (Zubzub)
Registered Member Username: Zubzub Post Number: 34 Registered: 5-2007 Posted From: 69.159.123.38  Rating: N/A |
Tekebird, are you a bus nut or a bus and bus parts broker? And if you are a broker is it possible that you could make this more clear? | ||
| Van (Van)
Registered Member Username: Van Post Number: 80 Registered: 7-2008 Posted From: 72.193.19.183 Rating: N/A |
[IMG]http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq292/cwvanhagen/92eagleadvertisement001.jpg[/IMG] REMEMBER WHEN! | ||
| steve gaines (Kysteve)
Registered Member Username: Kysteve Post Number: 135 Registered: 12-2006 Posted From: 74.140.165.225 Rating: N/A |
Or maybe just plain NUTS!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA | ||
| Paul Lawry (Dreamscape)
Registered Member Username: Dreamscape Post Number: 407 Registered: 5-2007 Posted From: 217.35.103.132 Rating: N/A |
Hey Van, I had not seen that one, pretty neat huh? Got any more Buddy? | ||
| Bruce Henderson (Oonrahnjay)
Registered Member Username: Oonrahnjay Post Number: 316 Registered: 8-2004 Posted From: 68.84.6.177  Rating: N/A |
OK, can we cut to the bottom line here. 25 months ago, someone made a lot of promises and a lot of noises about doing something. What has happened in the meantime????? | ||
| FAST FRED (Fast_fred)
Registered Member Username: Fast_fred Post Number: 597 Registered: 10-2006 Posted From: 66.82.9.79 Rating: N/A |
" OK, can we cut to the bottom line here. 25 months ago, someone made a lot of promises and a lot of noises about doing something. What has happened in the meantime?????" Press releases are like politicos promises, WORTHLESS. FF | ||
| marvin pack (Gomer)
Registered Member Username: Gomer Post Number: 370 Registered: 3-2007 Posted From: 71.55.230.210  Rating: N/A |
wasn't there a thread about needing investors for eagle and relocating to Tenn.?? Sounds familiar? Gomer |