Tovarna vozil Maribor delivered to Italian transporter COTRAL -  national company from Rome, four minibuses MARBUS VIVEO B4 080.

The buses are running  for public transport in urban traffic. Cotral company is the first national Italian carrier, which deals with urban, suburban and interurban transport. The company has in its fleet 1.700 buses and employs 3.440 workers.

This is first contract for our company with the Italian carrier Cotral. The carrier and passengers are satisfied with our buses therefore new orders are expected.

The Court rejected the Interim Injunction required by German company Viseon against Slovenian bus builders Tovarna vozil Maribor

Maribor, September 28th, District Court – Okrožno sodišče in Maribor  rejected requirement of German company Viseon to issue Provisional Decree against TOVARNA VOZIL MARIBOR, d.o.o.. 

Tovarna vozil Maribor is allowed to proceede  with the production of airport buses MB 1341. In spite of that a huge expense was caused to Tovaran Vozil Maribor by 

Tovarna vozil Maribor namely never concluded any business contract Viseon bus GmbH.

Tovarna vozil Maribor concluded a contract with Neoplan, to wit a Contract on development (which was implemented in whole) and the Contract on the serial supply of buses (which expired on 11 November 2008). Tovarna vozil Maribor fulfilled all contractual obligations arising from the above-mentioned contracts.

Tovarna vozil Maribor has at its disposal all the necessary technical knowledge and experiences for the production of buses. Tovarna vozil Maribor has been involved in the production of different types of vehicles, including buses, for decades. This was nonetheless also the reason why NEOPLAN decided to cooperate with Tovarna vozil Maribor.

After the Neoplan contract expiration Tovarna vozil started production of low floor buses  Vivair MB 1341, which has different technical characteristic as Noplan airport buses and is result of their own development,  technology and production knowledge.

Viseon company  substantiate  its charges with Licensee Contract. Company Tovarna vozil Maribor states, that never concluded such contract therefore can not be party to legal proceedings.  Tovarna vozil Maribor never concluded any licence contract, even with Neoplan company.

Tovarna vozil Maribor is convinced that recently established company Viseon bus, which has no experience in bus building, wants to prevent the realization of the deal concluded between Tovarna vozil Maribor and Saudi company Al-Amad.

Tovarna vozil Maribor, d.o.o., Managing Board

Accusations of company Viseon Bus from Germany against company Tovarna vozil Maribor are unfounded

The management of Tovarna vozil Maribor, d. o. o., is convinced that Viseon Bus GmbH wants to hinder Tovarna vozil Maribor in its attempt to enter the Arabian market with a lawsuit and other non-trade actions.

Maribor, 24 June 2009: Tovarna vozil Maribor, d. o. o., is convinced that the lawsuit of company Viseon Bus GmbH regarding so-called plagiarizing is unfounded:

1.      Tovarna vozil Maribor namely never concluded a licence contract with company Neoplan, which would transfer rights from such a contract to Viseon bus GmbH. Tovarna vozil Maribor concluded a contract with Neoplan, to wit a Contract on development (which was implemented in whole) and the Contract on the serial supply of buses (which expired on 11 November 2008). Tovarna vozil Maribor fulfilled all contractual obligations arising from the above-mentioned contracts.

2.      Tovarna vozil Maribor has at its disposal all the necessary technical knowledge and experience for the production of buses. Tovarna vozil Maribor has been involved in the production of different types of vehicles, including buses, for decades. This was nonetheless also the reason why NEOPLAN decided to cooperate with Tovarna vozil Maribor .

3.      Tovarna vozil Maribor and the Al Amad Corporation from Saudi Arabia concluded a multi-annual contract on the supply of 100 low-floor buses VIVAIR MB 1341 worth 25 million EUR. Viseon (which has no experience in the production of such buses) wants to harm Tovarna vozil Maribor with different incorrect, non-trade and harmful acts (for instance, by sending letters to sub-contractors of Tovarna vozil Mairbor) in order to prevent the realization of the deal with corporation Al Amad.

4.      Negotiations between company Skupina Viator & Vektor, d.d., and company Viseon Bus GmbH weren't interrupted by the news on the signing of a contract with company Al Amad. Viseon Bus GmbH one-sidedly withdrew from talks on business cooperation and capital connections in February 2009.

5.      According to available information, the current ownership structure of Viseon Bus GmbH is very unclear. The company was recently established by newly formed companies, which were established with minimum share capital and only one employee. The rating report recommends caution in operations with Viseon Bus GmbH.

The accusations of Viseon Bus refer to the production of the airport bus and consequently to the skills necessary for the production of such a bus.

Tovarna vozil Maribor stresses that the basic condition for the production of an airport bus is generic knowledge in the area of bus production, which Tovarna vozil Maribor had already prior to the commencement of any form of cooperation with NEOPLAN. Such knowledge cannot be subject to licence rights. It should be added that Tovarna vozil Maribor has long-lasting experience with the production of buses and that it also produces other types of buses, which are much more complex as regards production than the relevant airport buses.

Tovarna vozil Maribor cooperated with company NEOPLAN!

Their cooperation was based on the Contract on development and the Contract on the serial supply of buses. The statements of Viseon Bus on the allegedly concluded licence contract between Tovarna vozil Maribor and NEOPLAN aren’t true. Statements that Tovarna vozil Maribor acquired “know-how” from NEOPLAN and that it isn't entitled to the use of this know-how after the conclusion of cooperation with NEOPLAN aren't true either.

Tovarna vozil Maribor has all the necessary technical knowledge and experience required for the production of buses.

Tovarna vozil Maribor has been involved in the production of different types of vehicles, including the production of buses, for decades. This was the reason why NEOPLAN decided for cooperation with Tovarna vozil Maribor and also concluded the Contract on development. Contrary to the claims of Viseon Bus, Tovarna vozil Maribor developed the next generation of airport buses for serial production with the use of own knowledge.

Tovarna vozil Maribor actually concluded a multi-annual contract on the supply of a larger number of low-floor buses VIVAIR MB 1341 worth 25 million EUR with corporation Al Amad from . Viseon Bus GmbH, which has no experience in the production of such buses, wants to harm the company Tovarna vozil Maribor with different activities of unfair competition and by using legal means with the aim of preventing the realization of the deal with corporation Al Amad.

The low-floor bus VIVAIR MB 1341, produced by Tovarna vozil Maribor, includes individual parts and elements, which are standardized, but also has different technical features than buses, which Tovarna vozil Maribor produced for NEOPLAN. While the relevant buses of brand NEOPLAN were exclusively based on components produced by company MAN, Tovarna vozil Maribor adjusted to the market by adapting the structure of the bus to the requirements of customers (enabling the installation of different types of engines, gearboxes, etc.,). This type of bus also includes a series of other elements that distinguish it from the above-mentioned type of the NEOPLAN bus.

#  #  #

By the decision of a professional jury and the readers of the Transport and Mehanik magazines our company was awarded a recognition award for the bus MARBUS VIVETH on 21 January 2009. At the event which was organised by the Transport and Mehanik magazines our bus was chosen BUS OF THE YEAR in the category of commercial vehicles - buses.

The competition was held in three categories: Bus of 2009, Van of 2009 and Truck of 2009. The readers had submitted their votes by post and internet which were added to the votes of the professional jury. The second place was taken by the bus Setra 415.

On 24 November 2008 the Carinthian Chamber of Commerce in Klagenfurt organised a regional meeting of bus and coach operators entitled The Carinthian Bus Days.

The basic motto of the meeting was: »With courage and trust into the future – because we all sit on the same bus«.

The participants discussed the characteristics of the bus and coach transport in the region, the current developments in this sector, and new opportunities and novelties in the area of school bus transportation. The meeting was concluded with a discussion entitled: Where is the future leading?

The company BWS-BusWelt from Salzburg presented our company TVM and our midi bus VIVETH to the other participants of the meeting.

At the beginning of 2008 we signed a distribution agreement with an Irish partner for marketing right hand drive buses in the markets of the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Great Britain and other right hand drive markets. On the basis of this agreement the first sales contract for seven buses was concluded in April 2008, of which five were tourist raised-floor midi buses VIVETH and two line transport buses B3 090 TLL.

With regard to the specific characteristics of the above mentioned markets, our engineers developed by the end of the summer right hand drive variations of our two buses with some technical additions required by the local markets. In such a way the Irish variations offer an even higher level of comfort and equipment, therefore we are convinced that they will find their place also in other right hand drive markets.

The amount of business with the Irish partner is expected to reach 10 to 20 vehicles a year.

Despite the economic uncertainty the Irish Tourist Coach Operators Association organised a COACH & BUS SHOW 2008 on 21 – 22 November 2008. It is a biennial trade show taking place every second year at the Dublin Exhibition Centre and is primarily intended for presentations, meetings and exchanging ideas among the local Irish bus and coach transport companies and tour operators.

63 local exhibitors presented their companies and services at the show which was attended by approximately 4,000 visitors in two days.

Our business partner exhibited at one of the largest exhibition stands in an elite show location. Our buses, a tourist midi bus VIVETH and a line transport bus B3 TLL, attracted a lot of attention from the visitors. This convinced us that despite the unfavourable market conditions we will be able to achieve our goals in this market.

At the »Bus Travel Business« tourism trade show which took place on 28 – 29 October 2008 in Vienna we successfully presented our raised floor tourist coach Viveth.

BTB is a specialised trade show focusing on coach tourism. It takes place at the Event Hotel Pyramid, shortly named »The Pyramid«. The hotel is located in a vast green area of Vienna, measuring 90,000 m2. The hotel includes a 3,500 m2 Congress Centre, a park of 4,000 m2 and a high glass pyramided. As such it serves as a top event location, suitable for trade shows like the BTB. The latter took place in the 3,000 m2 glass pyramid.

Last year, 150 exhibitors from 30 countries which participated in the trade show presented the latest achievements in the area of coach tourism.

The trade show focussed on the following themes:

Our company Tovarna Vozil Maribor presented, together with the Austrian company BWS-BusWelt Salzburg, our tourist coach Viveth. The response from the visitors was very good and led us to expect new orders in the near future.