PETALING JAYA: Johor-based bus and bus body manufacturer Gemilang International Limited (GML) has secured its single largest order from Uzbekistan to supply 190 bus body kits, less than a month after the group won its biggest order to deliver fully-electric school buses to California, USA.
The latest contract from Uzbekistan will position the company as a strong player in the emerging Central Asia market and help the group venture into neighbouring countries such as Belarus and Kazakhstan.
The contract to deliver 190 completely knocked down (CKD) bus body kits were awarded in February 2022. It is expected to complete in October 2022.
GML chairman and CEO Pang Chong Yong said Uzbekistan was one of its six focus markets in 2022. Others were USA, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong.
“The latest contract is a repeat order from Uzbekistan and is recognised as a springboard for us to grow further in the region. It is our plan to deliver high-quality products consistently and build a strong and competitive presence in the market.
“GML is actively working on securing new projects in the aforementioned six countries. In addition, many tender activities have been delayed in the past two years since the pandemic and we wish to see tenders coming from our target markets this year as the economy is recovering,“ he said in a statement.
GML has delivered more than 160 bus body kits to Uzbekistan since 2015, making the country an important growth market for the group. GML expects the latest contract to be a major revenue contributor this year.
The group will continuously benefit from the infrastructure developments in Uzbekistan, leveraging on its proven track record as one of the leading bus and bus body manufacturers in Asia.
The latest contract was secured via competitive tender bidding undertaken with GML’s partners including chassis supplier and local bus body builder. The main winning factor is believed to be GML’s pre-engineered aluminium body kits which are fabricated using craftsmanship originating from Switzerland. This contract further demonstrates that GML buses and bus bodies can meet regulatory and statutory safety requirements in the destination countries.
