In the 1930s, Bob Wright set up a joinery business behind his home in Warden Street. Times were hard but Bob’s skills as a carpenter were recognised throughout the district and he was often asked to take on special jobs. One such job was from the manager of Ballymena and Harryville Co-op asking if he could build a van if they were to purchase a chassis scuttle from the manufacturer, the reply was, “I most certainly can and if I cannot build a better van than you are currently receiving I will close the doors.”

The rest of the story, as they say, is now history . . . 

The Co-op venture was a success and Bob decided to concentrate on coachbuilding. In 1946, he laid the foundations for the thriving business which exists today by setting up Robert Wright Coachworks Ltd.

In the late 1950s, William Wright, who had joined his father in the family business, saw a niche in the market, so they developed the mobile shop! And by the 1960s, the company had developed into a substantial commercial body-building business employing over 50 people.  The first buses, small ones at that, were produced in the early 1970s.

Always looking to the future, in 1976 the Company took two decisions which have been proved fundamental to its success – 1. to employ a professional design engineer and 2. to expand the bus building activities, particularly for the PSV market. And if the Company was to succeed it had to change to meet its potential customers’ expectations. That led to the adoption of the easily repairable, all bolted Alusuisse framing and ultimately the development of Aluminique™, with Wright Group designed/patented features.