Bus operator Stagecoach Merseyside and South Lancashire is starting the New Year with new management teams in place across many of its depots as the company develops and expands its team due to sustained growth.

The company completed the purchase of First Bus operations in the Chester and Wirral areas in 2013 and is building and strengthening its management teams across the regions following the expansion of its offering and increasing demand for services.

Five of the businesses’ operations managers will move to new depots within the firm, allowing them to experience working in different areas of the regions. The moves will also enable the team to take on additional responsibilities and further develop their management abilities.

Colin Nicholson, who previously held the role of operations manager at Stagecoach’s Chorley depot will now take on the role of operations manager at the Preston Depot. Nat Ward will move from the Liverpool Gillmoss depot to fill the position of Operations Manager at Chorley.

Louise Simpson, who was operations manager at the Preston depot will take on the role of operations manager at the Liverpool Gillmoss depot. While Jamie Reid, will move from Stagecoach’s Dunfermline depot to become operations manager at the Birkenhead depot.

Alan French, who previously held the role of assistant operations manager at the Preston depot has been promoted to operations manager at the firm’s Chester depot.

Elisabeth Tasker, managing director of Stagecoach Merseyside and South Lancashire, said:

“Our operations managers are at the heart of our business and strengthening this level of management is critical to the success of the company. We’re committed to ensuring that we provide real opportunities for advancement and development and we’re delighted that Colin, Nat, Louise, Jamie, and Alan are growing with the business and continuing to further their careers and develop with us.

“We’re fortunate to have fantastic management teams in place across all of our regional depots and these changes will allow our teams to experience wider roles, stretch themselves and develop their capacity and talent as managers. Working across different depots in the regions also gives our teams the opportunity to develop a more holistic and rounded understanding of the business unit as a whole, allowing us to move forward and grow as a more integrated, efficient and connected company.”

Stagecoach has recently grown its team at its Chester depot from 81 members of staff to 105, while its Birkenhead staff has grown from 115 to a team of 146. The company has added a number of new routes to its timetables in Chester and is now offering evening and Sunday services across a number of its existing routes.

Stagecoach Bus is one of the UK’s major employers, supporting around 24,000 thousand jobs across the UK and 1,209 jobs in Merseyside and South Lancashire. Over 200 hundred people completed apprenticeships with Stagecoach since 2004 and the company currently employs 150 apprentices.

The company is also one of the UK’s most sustainable bus operators and has reduced carbon emissions by 30 per cent in the last five years. All Stagecoach vehicles are fitted with eco-driving systems which lower emissions and the company has shown the biggest commitment to using 100 per cent biofuel of any UK bus operator.

For more info, visit www.stagecoachbus.com