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| Company type | Family-owned |
|---|---|
| Industry | Transportation |
| Founded | 1933 |
| Founder | D.H. Ward |
| Defunct | 1980, (company) 1992, (brand by successor AmTran from 1980-1992) |
| Fate | Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Re-organized as American Transportation Corporation |
| Successor | American Transportation Corporation (AmTran) |
| Headquarters | Conway, Arkansas |
Number of locations | 2 (Conway, Arkansas and Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania) |
Area served | North America |
| Products | School Buses Commercial Buses |
Ward Body Works (also known as Ward Industries and Ward School Bus Manufacturing, Inc.) was an American bus manufacturer. Headquartered in Conway, Arkansas, Ward specialized in yellow school buses, alongside buses for other uses. Founded in 1933 by D.H. "Dave" Ward, the company was family-owned for nearly its entire existence.
Among several innovations, Ward was the first manufacturer to perform a rollover test on a school bus, leading to changes in school bus body design.[1] In another industry first, Ward was the first manufacturer to assemble buses on an assembly line.[2]
In 1980, Ward filed for bankruptcy and was reorganized as American Transportation Corporation (AmTran), keeping the Ward brand name in use on school buses. In 1991, AmTran was acquired by Navistar International, leading to the retirement of the Ward brand name during 1992. The company currently exists as the IC Bus subsidiary of Navistar (the successor of AmTran).