Micro Bird — a joint venture between Blue Bird Corporation and Girardin — and the largest manufacturer of small school buses in North America, will establish manufacturing operations in Plattsburgh, New York. The company, which builds both electric and non-electric small and mid-sized school and commercial buses, has confirmed the purchase of the Nova Bus facility, which is slated to cease its Clinton County operations next year. Micro Bird’s acquisition of the Nova Bus facility provides an opportunity to the more than 300 Nova Bus employees to transition to similar employment positions at Micro Bird.
Micro Bird plans to invest $38 million into capital expenses and training, and create 350 full-time jobs over five years. Empire State Development (ESD) will support the project with up to $9.825 million in performance-based Excelsior Jobs Program tax credits and a $2.5 million capital grant, recommended by the North Country Regional Economic Development Council. The Micro Bird team will collaborate closely with the Nova Bus team for a seamless transition. Production is expected to begin in summer 2025.
“This is a great opportunity for our company to expand our operations in the State of New York,” commented Micro Bird President and CEO Eric Boulé. “This investment is part of a growth strategy to double production capacity and better meet the sustained and growing demand for its products, which are known for their superior quality, durability and value. The availability of a highly qualified workforce, and with the strong support of Governor Hochul and her team, Senator Schumer, Clinton County and the Town of Plattsburgh, we are looking forward to a successful and sustainable future in producing high quality buses for our US customers.”
New York’s North Country is home to vital transportation equipment and aerospace companies across the seven-county region that produces next generation transportation equipment and aerospace components built around road, rail, air and marine transportation. This is due, in part, to its proximity to Quebec’s global transportation equipment and aerospace cluster. Transportation manufacturing in the North Country accounts for nearly 1,000 jobs and contributes more than $150 million to the state’s gross domestic product. Micro Bird will be joining a robust clean transportation manufacturing sector which includes Beta, Alstom and Norsk Titanium, reducing carbon emissions and air pollution, improving public health and combating the threat of climate change.
Governor Kathy Hochul worked with the Volvo Group — parent company of Nova Bus — to guarantee a smooth and effective repurposing of the facility.
“When Nova Bus announced they would cease operations at their Plattsburgh facility, I immediately contacted company leadership and strongly advocated for solutions that would capitalize on the current workforce and existing supply chain,” said Gov. Hochul. “Today, I am proud to welcome Micro Bird — which we recruited to the North Country — where they can take advantage of our top talent, a thriving transportation cluster and the major investments we have made across the region. New York’s manufacturing sector is in the midst of a major renaissance, and is a major driver of our economy. I look forward to a long and successful future for Micro Bird in New York State.”
“From our earliest discussions with Micro Bird, it was clear that they were the right partner with a similar manufacturing profile who would benefit from Nova Bus’s skilled employees and the cluster of suppliers in the Plattsburgh area,” commented Nova Bus President Paul Le Houillier. “Choosing Micro Bird quickly became a win-win choice. We are thrilled to have concluded an agreement with a company that will carry forward the manufacturing footprint in the region for years to come, and who will benefit from the same unwavering support we have received from both the Plattsburgh community and New York State.”
“Since we took the marketing lead following Nova’s announcement last year, we have been a part of a remarkably committed team in Albany, Washington and locally,” said North Country Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Garry Douglas. “Governor Hochul has been an absolute rock star, reaching out to Volvo and then providing every form of support needed to make this extraordinary deal happen — similarly with Senator Schumer, who twice engaged personally at key points, and our front-line team locally with partners like the Clinton County IDA and TDC joining the Chamber in months of coordinated activity with Micro Bird. It’s been a textbook case of effective teamwork, accomplishing the sort of transition that almost never happens in such circumstances. And now, we happily turn to intensive work with Micro Bird in support of their future success here. Onward and upward!”
New York State’s Climate Plan
Micro Bird’s new facility supports New York State’s climate plan, which calls for an orderly and just transition that creates family-sustaining jobs, continues to foster a green economy across all sectors, and ensures that at least 35 percent — with a goal of 40 percent — of the benefits of clean energy investments are directed to disadvantaged communities. New York’s climate and clean energy initiatives, including the New York Cap-and-Invest program (NYCI) and other complementary policies, aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent by 2030 and 85 percent by 2050 from 1990 levels.
New York is also on a path to achieving a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040, including 70 percent renewable energy generation by 2030 and economy-wide carbon neutrality by mid-century. A cornerstone of this transition is New York’s clean energy investments, including more than $28 billion in 61 large-scale renewable and transmission projects across the state, $6.8 billion to reduce building emissions, $3.3 billion to scale up solar, nearly $3 billion for clean transportation initiatives, and over $2 billion in NY Green Bank commitments. These and other investments supported more than 170,000 jobs in New York’s clean energy sector as of 2022 and over 3,000 percent growth in the distributed solar sector since 2011.
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New York has also adopted zero-emission vehicle regulations, including requiring all new passenger cars and light-duty trucks sold in the state be zero emission by 2035. Partnerships are continuing to advance New York’s climate action with more than 400 registered and more than 130 certified Climate Smart Communities, nearly 500 Clean Energy Communities, and the state’s largest community air monitoring initiative in 10 disadvantaged communities to help target air pollution and combat climate change.
