For Immediate Release

For more information contact:
Steve Kratzer
Marketing and Business Development Representative
steve.kratzer@optimabus.com
316-779-7700 ext. 344

Transit Industry Leader Michael Monteferrante Selected as Chief Executive Officer of Optima Bus Corporation

Wichita, KS – June 1, 2003 – The board of directors of transit industry leader Optima Bus Corporation today announced that Michael Monteferrante has been appointed chief executive officer of the company.

Monteferrante’s work in the transportation industry helped transform Morrison Knudsen, J.T. Nelson and ALSTOM, and established the leading electronic procurement solution for the industry at iRail LLC.

Since 2000, Monteferrante has served as senior vice-president at Parsippany, New Jersey-based iRail LLC. He was a founding officer of the company, whose online procurement systems have attracted the membership of some of the leading transit agencies, railroads and suppliers in North America.

Prior to his participation in the launch and management of iRail, Monteferrante served as vice-president, Business Development for Morrison-Knudsen, CEO of J.T.Nelson, CEO of ALSTOM Canada Transport, and vice-president of ALSTOM’s North American Service operations, based in Rochester, NY. In addition, he has served on the American Public Transportation Association’s Business Member Board of Governors.

"I am excited to help demonstrate how Optima’s innovations in the mid size bus market and decades as the leading trolley bus manufacturer in North America can deliver solutions to local governments, private carriers and commuters across our markets," Monteferrante says. "The Optima Bus brands are going to become standards of quality in North American transportation."