Grande West Transportation Group Inc., a Canadian manufacturer of midsize multi-purpose transit vehicles, including models running on clean diesel and compressed natural gas (CNG), has added Christopher Strong to its board of directors.
Strong previously served as an independent director of Savanna Energy Services from 2013 to 2015 and then as CEO until the company was acquired in 2017. He was CEO of Union Drilling, a NASDAQ-traded oilfield service company, from 2005 until it was acquired by a private equity group in 2012. According to Grande West, Strong has over 30 years of experience with start-ups, acquisitions, IPOs, turn-arounds and sales. He also has a strong finance background with previous roles as audit committee chair, chief financial officer and other finance-related positions earlier in his career. Strong, a former U.S. Navy Officer, received his MBA in finance from the Wharton School of Business.
Jean-Marc Landry, CEO of Grande West, says, “We are very fortunate to have Chris join our board as an independent and audit committee chair. We continue to strengthen the entire organization in 2018, and Chris’ experience with optimizing operational results fits very well with our current focus on cost reductions and U.S. sales growth. The entire Grande West team is excited to have Chris on board.”
Grande West’s Vicinity bus is available in 27.5-, 30- and 35-foot models powered by clean diesel or CNG. Earlier this year, Hamilton Street Railway, a public transport agency in Hamilton, Ontario, placed an order for CNG-powered Vicinity buses. Last month, Grande West named a new chief financial officer, Danial Buckle.
