8-K
Blue Bird Corp (BLBD)
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of Earliest Event Reported): March 31, 2023
BLUE BIRD CORPORATION
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Delaware | 001-36267 | 46-3891989 |
|---|---|---|
| (State or Other Jurisdiction of<br>Incorporation) | (Commission File Number) | (IRS Employer<br>Identification No.) |
3920 Arkwright Road
2nd Floor
Macon, Georgia 31210
(Address of principal executive offices and zip code)
(478) 822-2801
(Registrant's telephone number including area code)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):
| ☐ | Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
|---|---|
| ☐ | Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
| ☐ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) |
| ☐ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered |
|---|---|---|
| Common stock, $0.0001 par value | BLBD | NASDAQ Global Market |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
(b) On April 1, 2023, Mr. Chan Galbato, a Class II director of Blue Bird Corporation (the “Company”), tendered his resignation from our Board of Directors, effective April 3, 2023. Mr. Galbato’s decision was not based on any disagreement with the Company regarding its operations, policies or practices.
(d) On March 31, 2023, the Board of Directors of the Company elected Mr. Simon J. Newman as a Class II director of the Company, to fill the vacancy created by the recent resignation of Dr. Kathleen Shaw. Mr. Newman has not been appointed to any Board committees.
Mr. Newman has over 40 years’ manufacturing industry experience with extensive expertise in the field of precision engineered component manufacturing and executive strategy. In February 2022, Mr. Newman was appointed to the position of Chairman of MW Components and Paragon Medical. MW Components is a leading provider of highly engineered springs, specialty fasteners, bellows, and other precision components with manufacturing facilities across the United States, and Paragon Medical is a global contract manufacturing organization (“CMO”), supplying implants and surgical devices to the medical industry. Mr. Newman also served as Chief Executive Officer for Form Technologies for 18 years. He began his career with the Dynacast organization, now a Form Technologies division, in 1979, progressively working through the company in all facets of operations leading to a long and prolific tenure as the Group Chief Executive. Mr. Newman became the CEO of MW Components in 2020, but recently moved into the role of Chairman. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of Elgen Manufacturing Company Inc. and Chromalloy, a Veritas company.
There are no arrangements or understandings between Mr. Newman and any other persons pursuant to which he was elected as a director. There are no transactions and no proposed transactions between Mr. Newman and the Company that would be required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K. Mr. Newman will participate in our director compensation programs to the same extent as other directors.
Item 9.01 Financial Statement and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits.
99.1 Press release of the Company, dated April 6, 2023.
104 Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document).
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| BLUE BIRD CORPORATION | |
|---|---|
| By: | /s/ Ted Scartz |
| Name: | Ted Scartz |
| Title: | Senior Vice President and General Counsel |
Dated: April 6, 2023
Document
PRESS RELEASE
Blue Bird Appoints Simon Newman to Board of Directors
Veteran precision manufacturing executive brings decades of industrial, strategy and commercial experience
MACON, Ga. (April 6, 2023) – Blue Bird Corporation (Nasdaq: BLBD), the leader in electric and low-emission school buses, today announced the appointment of Simon J. Newman to its Board of Directors, effective April 4, 2023.
Newman has over 40 years of leadership experience in the fields of precision-engineered manufacturing, executive strategy and commercial relationships. He joins the Blue Bird Board currently serving as Chairman of MW Industries, including MW Components, a global component manufacturer for the automotive, aerospace, electronics and energy industries, as well as Paragon Medical, a global industry leader in medical device manufacturing.
Newman previously held the position of Chief Executive Officer for Form Technologies for 18 years. He began his career with the Dynacast organization, now a Form Technologies division, in 1979 as an apprentice in the United Kingdom, progressively working through the company in all facets of operations leading to a long and prolific tenure as the Group Chief Executive.
“Simon’s deep manufacturing and strategic leadership experience is highly relevant as we continue to build on Blue Bird’s nearly century-old leadership in school bus manufacturing,” said Matthew Stevenson, president and CEO of
Blue Bird Corporation. “Blue Bird school buses carry the most precious cargo in the world. Therefore, we continuously improve the safety, reliability and durability of our vehicles while leading the way to low- and zero-emission student transportation in North America. We look forward to Simon’s contributions and extend a warm welcome to him as he joins our Board of Directors.”
Newman also serves on the Board of Directors of MW Components, Paragon Medical, Elgen Manufacturing and Chromalloy. He received a bachelor of science degree in Operations Management from California Coast University.
About Blue Bird Corporation
Blue Bird (NASDAQ: BLBD) is recognized as a technology leader and innovator of school buses since its founding in 1927. Our dedicated team members design, engineer and manufacture school buses with a singular focus on safety, reliability, and durability. Blue Bird buses carry the most precious cargo in the world – the majority of 25 million children twice a day – making us the most trusted brand in the industry. The company is the proven leader in low- and zero-emission school buses with more than 20,000 propane, natural gas, and electric powered buses in operation today. Blue Bird is transforming the student transportation industry through cleaner energy solutions. For more information on Blue Bird's complete product and service portfolio, visit www.blue-bird.com.
Investor Contact
Mark Benfield
Blue Bird Corporation
T: +1.478.822.2315
E: Mark.Benfield@blue-bird.com