________________________________________________________________________ Driverge Vehicle Innovations
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rge became a cross-border mission
Nearly three decades ago, a company called Transit Works set out with a single focused mission: to build wheelchair accessible vehicles, giving people with disabilities greater freedom and independence. Today, operating under the name Driverge Vehicle Innovations( Driverge) since 2019, that same company upfits vehicles for fleets across the US and Canada, ranging from mobility vans to work trucks and vocational vehicles. This transformation reflects not only a change of name, but an essential shift in how the company views its role in the industry.
“ When we began, the business was focused on building wheelchair accessible vehicles,” starts Mark Minatel, President of Driverge.“ And as the company has grown, serving and supporting customers remains our mission.” Even though its scope has expanded dramatically, that mission has remained constant. Over the past several years, Driverge has moved methodically from being a single-product mobility vehicle manufacturer into a full-service upfitter, capable of supporting fleet and dealer customers across multiple vehicle types – a shift driven by a blend of ambition and necessity through demand.
Four years ago, Driverge acquired US Upfitters – a business specializing in vocational upfitting – followed by the acquisition of two divisions from Savaria that opened the Canadian market. Together, these moves transformed Driverge from a mobility specialist into a cross-border upfitter, serving both wheelchair accessible vehicle customers and the broader work truck industry.“ The mobility market is only so big,” explains Terry Elder, Vice President of Operations, North America.“ US Upfitters was a strong brand in the vocational upfitting space, and they had an excellent reputation. We believe this acquisition benefits our customers and the industry as a whole.” manufacturing-today. com 225