Grenda Corporation Explained

Grenda Corporation
Headquarters:	Dandenong
Service Area:	South-Eastern Melbourne
Service Type:	Former bus & coach operator

Grenda Corporation was an Australian bus and coach company which operated services under its subsidiaries Cardinia Transit, Grenda's Bus Services, Moorabbin Transit, Peninsula Bus Lines and Portsea Passenger Service, all of which were sold to Ventura Bus Lines in January 2012. It also formerly owned the Volgren bus body building business.

History

Grenda's Bus Services was founded in October 1945 when George Grenda purchased four routes from Shaves Bus Service in Dandenong.^[1]

Over the years a number of acquisitions were made:

• Dandenong Boomerang Bus Lines in July 1951^[2]
• Peninsula Bus Lines, Seaford in August 1958^[2]
• O Bridges in the early 1960s^[2]
• H Glenny in June 1965^[2]
• Blue Line Tourist Coaches, Sydney was purchased in 1973, sold along with Grenda's Melbourne coach operation to AAT Kings in 1975
• Portsea Passenger Service in February 1983^[3]
• Blue & Silver Bus Lines, Camden Bus Lines, Hampton Green, Hampton Red, Sandringham Bus Co & Southland Bus Service in 1988 to form Moorabbin Transit^{[4] [5]}
• Berwick Bus Lines in June 1996, amalgamated with Grenda Bus Service's Pakenham depot to form Cardinia Transit^{[6] [7]}
• Frankston Passenger Service in 2002, amalgamated with Peninsula Bus Lines
• Blue Ridge Coaches in January 2006, amalgamated with Peninsula Bus Lines^[8]
• Hastings Coaches in April 2008, amalgamated with Peninsula Bus Lines^[8]
• Invicta Bus Services, Lilydale in 2009

In 1977 bodybuilder Volgren was formed in Dandenong.^[9] Because Grenda held the Volvo Buses dealership in Victoria, only chassis from this manufacturer were bodied until 1989 when the dealership was relinquished.^[10]

In 1995 Grenda Corporation formed Australian Transit Enterprises, a joint venture with Hornibrook Bus Lines and Kefford Corporation that operates SouthLink in Adelaide and Path Transit in Perth.^{[11] [12] [13]}

In November 2011 Grenda Transit (bus operations) was purchased by Ventura Bus Lines.^{[14] [15]} In December 2011 Volgren was sold to Brazilian bus manufacturer Marcopolo.^[16]

See also

• Buses in Melbourne
• List of Victorian Bus Companies
• List of Melbourne bus routes

Notes and References

1. http://www.grendacorp.com.au/default/manufacturing-quality-vehicles-since-1945 Manufacturing Quality Buses Since 1978
2. Book: Melbourne Metropolitan Bus Operators and Fleet Listings. 1991. Bus & Coach Society of Victoria. Melbourne. 20.
3. "Victorian Buses in the Eighties" Australian Bus Panorama 6/2 September 1990 page 13
4. "Industry Rationalisation" Australian Bus Panorama 4/5 March 1989 page 13
5. "Victorian Buses in the Eighties" Australian Bus Panorama 7/1 August 1991 page 5
6. "Cardinia Transit" Australian Bus Panorama 12/1 August 1996 page 36
7. "Cardinia Transit" Fleetline November 1996 page 206
8. http://fleetlists.busaustralia.com/gre.php?flsummary=GRE Grenda Corporation
9. http://www.greaterdandenong.com/Documents.asp?ID=15303&Title=Hall+of+Fame+-+Volgren&Type=d Victorian Government Manufacturing Hall of Fame Volgren Australia Pty Ltd - 2006 Inductee
10. "Industry News" Australian Bus Panorama 4/6 May 1989 page 5
11. "Australian Transit Enterprises" Australian Bus Panorama 15/5 April 2000 page 32
12. http://www.southlink.com.au/history_main.htm History
13. http://path.com.au/ Home
14. http://www.grenda.com.au/news/latest-news/grenda-announcement-18112011 Grenda Announcement 18/11/2011
15. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/features/the-man-with-the-golden-handshake/story-e6frg8h6-1226292128380 The man with the golden handshake
16. http://www.volgren.com.au/news/news/volgren-press-release-13122011 Volgren Press Release