Kiel North America Infuses California Program with Innovative Seating Systems

Elkhart, IN, January 14, 2015 --(PR.com)-- Kiel North America, a trendsetting seat provider to transit systems around the world, recently delivered 107 sets of lightweight, ergonomically designed seats to Riverside, California.

With one of the largest service areas in the nation (2,500 square miles) and record-breaking ridership numbers, the agency had to quickly replace its aging fleet in a cost-effective way. It was also imperative that the new seats should help save operating expenses, support a rigorous CO2 emission reduction program, and provide the utmost comfort and convenience for riders. With over 9.3 million riders boarding buses last year travelling a combined 13.5 million miles, the public transportation system in Riverside offers exceptional service and great user-friendliness to its customers but at the same time this also poses immense demands on the durability and safety of seats.

In Kiel seating systems Riverside found an attractive partner to deliver on-time solutions that not only appeal to riders with their innovative and ergonomic design but that would also exceed fuel-efficiency and safety requirements. Each of the 107 buses is equipped with up to 32 Kiel seats that are manufactured at the Kiel North American facility in Elkhart, Indiana and are fully "Buy America" compliant.

90 of the buses are equipped with the INTRA model which is one of the lightest stainless steel seats on the market and a trendsetting model for ergonomically correct comfort, stylish design as well as robustness. The remaining buses feature the Kiel LIGERO, a fully padded seat with thick cushions that provides an exceptionally high level of comfort usually not found in regional transportation solutions. The excitingly streamlined back profile of the LIGERO increases the leg room substantially and allows passengers to move more freely about the coach. Both seats are part of Kiel’s modular seating solutions which can be adjusted to almost any space requirements imaginable and can also be exchanged fully or in part very quickly.

All Kiel seats undergo the most rigorous testing in independent facilities for static, endurance, dynamic, and vibration performance as well as fire requirements. Due to Kiel’s use of cutting-edge technology, Kiel seating solutions feature not only extreme durability and an industry-leading price-performance ratio, but are also exceptionally lightweight and have the potential to save about 4% on fuel costs compared to similar seats.

“We are tremendously pleased about our first collaboration with Riverside,” says Thomas Schwank, General Manager of Kiel North America. “It has been a wonderful pleasure to work with the leadership on being able to offer riders a maximum of smart and innovative seating solutions, while providing the utmost level in safety and fuel efficiency. There are already orders for several more new sets, and we look forward to continuing our thriving relationship.”

About Kiel
Founded in 1945 in Nördlingen, Germany, Kiel is a leading manufacturer of innovative passenger seating systems for commercial vehicles and public transportation, including seating solutions for busses and trains on the local, regional, and intercity level. Kiel seats distinguish themselves with their high quality, sophisticated technology, and their contemporary design while meeting the highest requirements both in safety and passenger comfort. Kiel conducts business worldwide with manufacturing facilities in the United States, Germany, Poland, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, and Turkey and dedicated sales teams in Greece, France, Austria, and the UK.