by Hal Mattern
NASHVILLE—Temsa North America, which took over sales of its Turkish-made motorcoaches in the U.S. after a legal dispute with its former distributor, had a sizable presence at UMA EXPO 2020 in the Music City Center.
The company had all four of its models on display—the TS30, TS35, TS45 and its new TS45 electric coach.
“We are still developing and selling buses,” said Deniz Cetin, country manager for Temsa North America.
The company’s eight-year-old distribution agreement with CH Bus Sales began unraveling in 2018 when Temsa claimed that CH Bus was delinquent on $7.7 million in payments for motorcoaches and parts. CH countered that it was owed money for claimed defects in a shipped motorcoach.
After a prolonged legal battle, CH Bus Sales and Temsa agreed to a “final judgment and permanent injunction” last October, with CH agreeing to return 72 motorcoaches to Temsa. While the agreement was a major step in ending the dispute between the companies, there are still some unresolved issues pending in court.
Temsa took over its sales, service and parts operations in the U.S. under Temsa North America Inc., which it incorporated in June 2018, and has since been working to rebuild its network and hold on to its customer base.
Cetin said current and potential customers who visited Temsa’s EXPO booth expressed concern about the company’s future but were relieved when he explained the situation to them.
“They’re not running away,” Cetin said. “They are hoping we come back stronger than ever. We are like a boxer. We keep fighting. Everybody knows Temsa will be around.”
