Anniston bus maker to resturcture and reduce workforce

Anniston-based North American Bus Industries will be reducing its workforce mainly through attrition and retirement during the next two years as it restructures to produce a different bus model.  Canada-based bus maker New Flyer, which bought NABI last year, announced in a Tuesday press release it will phase out production of the Anniston plant's current two bus models and have it make a different model instead. The change is part of a company-wide strategy to produce only a single bus design to improve efficiency. New Flyer officials say they will invest $20 million to restructure NABI and keep it as part of their long-term goals. However, the restructuring they say will also mean fewer NABI employees will be needed to do the work.  NABI currently employs more than 600 people and manufactures heavy-duty transit buses.  Company officials said Wednesday that NABI's workforce will be reduced over the next two years mainly through retirements, attrition and redeployment.  Officials declined to say whether any workers would be laid off or by how much the workforce will be reduced.  NABI produces approximately 600 buses per year.