The inaugural ceremony for Marcopolo (Changzhou) Bus Manufacturing Co., Ltd. was held in Changzhou National Hi-Tech District on March 28.

Caxias do Sul, Brazil-based publicly-traded Marcopolo was founded in 1949 and has been dedicated to the manufacture of buses for more than 60 years. It is the largest such manufacturer in Brazil as well as one of the world's industry leaders. Marcopolo has established strategic partnerships with world-renowned chassis manufacturers including Benz, Iveco and Scania, and its products are sold in more than 100 countries and regions.

In 2003, Caxias do Sul established a sister city relationship with Changzhou. The Yangtze River Delta region-based city has a complete service system and the human resources to support the manufacturing of bus components. After a systematic investigation, Marcopolo found that Changzhou Comprehensive Free Trade Zone's structure, services and policies can help companies shorten the production cycle and reduce production costs. For this reason, the company decided to register Marcopolo (Changzhou) Bus Manufacturing Co., Ltd. in the zone and to commence the manufacture and marketing of bus components and bodies, all of which will be sold abroad.

As part of its ongoing strategic expansion worldwide, Marcopolo has established 19 joint-stock companies and manufacturing facilities in Brazil, the US, Canada, Australia and India. The company manufactures buses for both low-end and high-end markets, in lengths ranging from 6 to 24 meters for city, highway and touring purposes.