LAS VEGAS With sales of new motorcoaches lagging behind those of recent years and the used-coach market saturated, major bus manufacturers supplying the North American market are looking for new ways to weather the storm and prepare for the future.

Most of them, according to top manufacturing executives who appeared on a panel at the United Motorcoach Association Motorcoach Expo here last month, are looking inward in search of ways to cut costs without impacting coach or service quality.

Motivating them to be successful are sales figures that last year reached the lowest level of the decade. Sales of new coaches in the U.S. and Canada in 2009 totaled 1,654, down from 2,017 in 2008, 2,173 in 2007 and 2,381 in 2006.

Prevost is banking on a team of 110 task forces, each of which is responsible for monitoring various segments of the company and its manufacturing processes and coming up with ideas to reduce costs and improve quality, said Gaetan Bolduc, president and chief executive.

"Well be in much better health and ready to quick-start our business when things recover in the new economy," he said. "With all crises, come opportunities."

Patrick Scully, chief commercial officer of Daimler Buses North America, said his company is stressing innovation, noting that companies that have the foresight to adapt to the new economy will benefit the most.

"Were looking closely at what we build and making sure were doing it in the most cost-effective way," he said.

He emphasized, too, that focusing on customers is critical during difficult times and will pay dividends in the long run.

ABC Companies President and Chief Executive Dane Cornell, said diversification, which has been an important part of the development of his company, can be critical to maintaining and growing a business.

"People that make it through this will come out knowing their business much better," he said, adding the industry seems to face a downturn every seven to 10 years.

Scully agreed, pointing out that diversifying helped manufacturers recover after the terrorists attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

"We all branched out, with transit up 18 percent and the motorcoach business down 17 percent," he said. "One carried the other."

Larry Brennan of Bus and Coach International said attending events such as Expo plays an important role in boosting manufacturers as well, noting such events can open the door to new business.

"And UMA dealing with state and federal legislators is a very good benefit as well," he said.

That view was shared by Cornell, who added that the annual UMA Motorcoach Expo produces big benefits for operators by bringing them together to exchange ideas in both good and bad times.

Scully noted that while the educational sessions offer great benefits to operators, the informal discussions among operators might produce even bigger payoffs. He said operators often find out during those discussions that someone else in the business has some of the same problems they do and they can trade ideas on how they can best be resolved.

In other areas, the panelists expressed concern about new safety measures that are being forged for the motorcoach industry by federal regulators, including safety belts, stronger coach roof designs, safer windows, and ADA rules.

"They are going to have to have a reasonable time line for them because the industry cant afford them (all at once)," noted Cornell.

Still, Scully said the industry will likely be up to the task as the safety measures unfold. "I look to us to come up with the solutions to meet them," he said. Its up to us."

Meantime, the panelists said they need to keep close watch on what is happening today in the regulatory arena to be better prepared for the future.

"Predicting change will be the toughest challenge for us," said Brennan. "We are going to need a finely tuned crystal ball."