ENC has been named an approved manufacturer on a five-year cooperative contract led by the Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation (PART).

The consortium contract establishes a base quantity of 49 buses, with options for an additional 50, representing a total potential of up to 99 vehicles over the five-year term. Participating agencies include PART, the Winston-Salem Transit Authority (WSTA) and Link Transit, which operates in the city of Burlington, N.C. Under the agreement, participating agencies may procure vehicles from ENC or New Flyer. 

The contract enables participating agencies to acquire ENC buses directly, without conducting an independent competitive solicitation. This structure reduces administrative burden and shortens acquisition timelines, an advantage particularly valuable to smaller agencies that can redirect constrained resources toward service delivery and the rider experience.

“PART is a valued ENC customer, and we are proud to have earned our place on this contract alongside the region’s leading transit agencies,” said ENC Vice President of Transit Sales John Obert. “This award reflects the confidence these agencies place in ENC’s American-built, Altoona-tested vehicles. We are actively engaged with PART, WSTA and Link Transit and look forward to delivering the quality and reliability their riders deserve.”

The contract affords participating agencies the flexibility to select from a range of ENC configurations tailored to their respective service needs. PART may procure 30-foot E-Z Rider II® and 40-foot AXESS® diesel buses, with additional 30-, 35- and 40-foot options. WSTA may procure 33-foot AXESS and E-Z Rider II diesel buses, along with 35-foot AXESS diesel-electric hybrid buses. Link Transit may procure 33-foot AXESS diesel-electric hybrid buses.

The award extends a relationship first established in 2022, when PART selected ENC to supply E-Z Rider II diesel buses for its fleet.

“Reliable, well-built vehicles are essential to the service our communities depend on,” said PART CEO and General Manager Scott Rhine. “This cooperative contract gives our participating agencies the flexibility to invest in quality, American-built transit buses, and we value our continued partnership with ENC.”

In June, ENC was accepted as an approved supplier to the NEORide consortium, offering direct procurement access to over 40 public transit agencies across 12 states. This follows ENC being sold to Rivaz, Inc. in 2024.