Record turnover for Irizar

In 2013, Group Irizar turned over a record €556m (£443.85m) and produced 5,368 coaches worldwide, with more than 1,000 leaving the Spanish factory at Ormaiztegi, up 15% on 2012. Exports accounted for 88% of the turnover. The manufacturer spent €18m (£14.3m) on the factory and on research to ensure it stays at the cutting edge of new technologies and build quality. Among the investments was its CREATIO 12,000 square metre R&D facility and a showroom. Irizar factories in Mexico, Brazil and Morocco all showed growth. The Mexico plant delivered record sales of 900 coaches, becoming market leader with more than 50% of Mexican coach sales. Brazil set a record of 800 vehicles sold. Group Irizar subsidiaries Hispacold, door maker Masats and electronics specialists Jema and Datik also stayed on target. In all, almost 3,000 of the 5,368 coaches were front-line tourers. Group Irizar is also developing an electric city bus as part of the European ZeEUS project. The first vehicle is expected to be delivered next month.