ABC #397

IN FOCUS
VOLGREN VETERANS
VOLGREN BUS
VETERANS CELEBRATED
Two Volgren industry stalwarts are having their combined bus service
stints of more than 80 years celebrated via the company’s unique ‘Local
Content, Local Jobs’ story series, Volgren announced recently.
At a time of unprecedented
challenges for the entire
mass transit industry –
especially those operating in
Victoria – Australia’s largest
bus body builder Volgren is celebrating a
wealth of unique employee stories from its
past and present, it explains.
The first set of Local Content, Local
Jobs employee stories acknowledge
two people with more than 80 years of
combined service: Ross Herring worked on
Volgren’s first bus VG001 and Peter Bromley
worked on VG006.
Herring joined Grenda’s Bus Service as an
apprentice in 1974 and, by the time Volgren
came into being in 1977, he was already
being officially recognised for his work. He
won the Outstanding Apprentice of the
Year in that year, as well as an award for
craftsmanship.
“Volgren was managed by Fred Spiller,
previously the workshop manager at
Grenda. He insisted on high workmanship
standards, which set up a great work culture
for the business, and high standards for me –
and not just at work,” Herring said.
“I was their first apprentice [and was] well
supported by the company. They allowed
me to do a fourth year at trade school,
plus stay for the night school and attend
Saturday mornings at times [to complete
further training],” he stated.
MULTIPLE ROLES
In 1980, Herring travelled to Switzerland to
train with Volgren’s Swiss manufacturing
(aluminium body structure design) partner
Hess, staying for six weeks. He visited again
decades later.
Volgren moved to its current Dandenong
facility in 1987 and, after that relocation,
Herring worked in multiple roles, the
company explains.
Herring was a factory foreman, a
production manager, a safety and
environmental leader and a process leader.
He regularly travelled interstate and even
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ABC September 2020 busnews.com.au