Proterra Inc, producer of the world’s first fast-charge battery-electric bus, announced continued growth during the first quarter of 2012.
Proterra completed the expansion of its Greenville, S.C. production facility in January. Prior to this, the maximum capacity was less than 100 buses per year. With the expansion, Proterra is now capable of producing up to 400 buses per year with room for further expansion into the 220,000 square-foot facility.
Not only did the company expand its manufacturing capacity, Proterra associates also worked closely with General Motors — a relationship made possible in collaboration with investor GM Ventures — to utilize lean manufacturing techniques and create a more effective and efficient plant layout.
“By focusing on lean manufacturing processes, Proterra is pushing more jobs out to the supply chain, effectively creating jobs beyond our own organization,” said Chief Executive Officer David Bennett. “We’ve worked diligently to source materials and services locally. In fact, we’ve gone from zero to approximately 75 South Carolina suppliers and vendors since our transition to Greenville in 2010.”
Beyond the physical expansion, Proterra has hired 22 new associates since Jan. 1, 2012. These employees bring experience to all areas of the organization from accounting to manufacturing to engineering. Proterra continues to look for talented individuals who want to "electrify" their careers.
When asked what the future holds for Proterra during a recent interview, Chief Financial Officer Jack McFarland summed things up very concisely stating, “The future for us is very bright.”
