Bus company Nimon and Sons has been sold to Tranzit Group. Photo / Warren Buckland
Bus company Nimon and Sons has been sold to Tranzit Group. Photo / Warren Buckland
Long-standing Hawke's Bay bus company Nimon and Sons has been sold to a rival transport company.
The sale includes its entire fleet of more than 130 vehicles.
More than 80 drivers employed by Nimon and Sons will keep their jobs and have been transferred to the new owner, Tranzit Group.
Nimon and Sons said about 90 per cent of its staff including office staff had transitioned to Tranzit Group, and the remainder had been offered roles but had chosen to finish up in their jobs.
Nimon and Sons has been operating in Hawke's Bay for 116 years and is best known for its Nimon-branded buses. It operated school buses, charter buses and luxury tours.
Tranzit Group, based in Masterton, announced it purchased the company this week for an undisclosed amount and officially took over the operation on Friday.
Family-owned Nimon and Sons lost a major bus contract earlier this year to continue operating school buses across the region from 2022.
The 12-year Ministry of Education contract was won by Tranzit Group.
Tranzit Group confirmed it had purchased Nimon's existing business contracts and assets which includes a fleet of more than 130 vehicles. It will also lease the three Nimon depot sites at Whakatu, Napier and Taupō from the Nimon family.
Nimon Mechanical, a commercial workshop, will remain in the Nimon family and will continue to service Tranzit's new fleet in the region.
Nimon and Sons general manager Katie Nimon, who is moving into a new job with Hawke's Bay Regional Council, said it had been a tough decision after a long history in Hawke's Bay.
Former Nimon and Sons general manager Katie Nimon (right) said it was a tough decision. Photo / Paul Taylor
She said without any major bus contracts they had to make the difficult decision now or in the near future, and it was "special that we have been part of Hawke's Bay history".
"We have to put our drivers first," she said.
"It was the only way. I look at it from a business point of view and if we had held on to the business it would have gone down in flames in a year's time.
"Stepping back from the bus industry after 116 years of operation has been a difficult decision for our family to make. However, we know this is the right outcome for our team as we are putting them into a safe pair of hands with Tranzit and giving continuity for our team, our customers and suppliers."
She said about 90 per cent of staff were transitioning to Tranzit and, to her knowledge, the remaining staff had been offered roles but had chosen to finish up.
Tranzit Group managing director Paul Snelgrove said more than 80 drivers who worked for Nimon and Sons had kept their jobs and would be working for Tranzit.
"We are proud to announce we have appointed our management team for Hawke's Bay and have taken on over 80 drivers.
"We look forward to welcoming Nimon team members to our Tranzit family," he said.
"Like Nimon and Sons, we are a family-owned transport and tourism company with our roots firmly in the Wairarapa for almost 100 years.
"The Nimon family has built an iconic and well-known business and we appreciate the strength of the Nimon name throughout Hawke's Bay and Taupō.
Tranzit Group managing director Paul Snelgrove says the company wants to carry on Nimon's legacy. Photo / Supplied
"We are committed to continuing their legacy in years to come by taking on the core of their operations and delivering exceptional services."
It is understood the Nimon brand will remain on buses across the region until the end of this year, at which point it will slowly be transitioned to a new brand to reflect the new owners.
Drivers and staff will also continue wearing their Nimon uniforms until the end of the year.
Nimon and Sons has operated in Hawke's Bay since 1905 and had remained in the Nimon family until this week.
The business originated in Havelock North but its depot and main office is now based in Whakatu, with additional depots in Napier and Taupō.
Tranzit Group employs about 1600 people and operates more than 1800 vehicles nationwide.
