In a move that many in the industry have been expecting, the Dunn Group has divested itself of Telfords, the bus company with which it established its Australian presence, selling the operation to Kinetic, the new company that controls Skybus.
Since purchasing and revitalising Custom Bus Group, Scott Dunn has been keen to distance the bus operations from the manufacturing arm, conscious that he did want to be competing and operating buses against other companies that are his customers in the bus manufacturing business.
Kinetic says it will retain the Telfords brand and that it will be retained as a bus and coach charter business operating alongside the Skybus airport shuttle operations and other brands across various states and cities.
Telford’s is one of Sydney’s largest charter fleets operating in excess of 100 buses and coaches across charter, corporate and school service and train replacement operations. Its red and white colour scheme is familiar on Sydney roads joining an expanding stable of Kinetic owned bus operations across NSW, Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania and New Zealand. The stable includes SkyBus, Sunbus and Surfside Buslines
.”It has been a year of remarkable growth for Kinetic and so it’s only fitting to end the year with the exciting addition of Telford’s to the group, which helps us bring our values-based approach to Australasia’s biggest market, Sydney,” said Kinetic Co-CEO Michael Sewards.
Kinetic Co-CEO Adam Begg said the entry into Sydney has been the highest strategic priority for Kinetic given the population base of the city and its high rate of public transport adoption.
“All of that plus the fact that it is home to both Australia’s biggest and its newest planned airport mneans it is vital for Kinetic to be in the Sydney market,” Begg said.
“The acquisition of Telfords with its sophisticated and proven charter booking systems and know-how further offers potential for Kinetic to realise new charter opportunities, which will provide even more mass transit options for people in Sydney to move around,” Begg added.
Telfords CEO Scott Dunn said it was the right time to sell after five years as owner of the brand.
“Tedford’s is a great business with great people and I am proud of what we have achieved over the past five years and this could never have been achieved without the people within the business,” said Scott Dunn.
“I believe the time is right for the business to have new leadership for its next stage of success,” he added.
The sales is expected to be completed early next month.
