AMERICANBUILT
About Us
GILLIG is the leading manufacturer of heavy-duty transit buses in the United States. From initial design through final assembly, each GILLIG bus is designed and built by dedicated Americans in Livermore, California. GILLIG buses are known for their unmatched quality and have earned their reputation as the lowest cost buses to maintain and operate.
Throughout the years, GILLIG has held strong to its family values and focus on its employees and customers. Our motivated and dedicated employees have a passion for quality and customer satisfaction. We are committed to building buses that connect communities, eliminate congestion, and contribute to a greener environment. Our Company pride is exemplified by the thoughtful design and quality craftsmanship present in every GILLIG bus. Our steadfast focus on quality and unwavering commitment to exceptional customer service sets us apart from our competition.
A family-owned American business since 1890, GILLIG has a long history of excellence,
supported by our Vision, Mission, and Core Values.
Our Vision & Mission
Vision
To improve quality of life through transformative mass transit solutions.
Mission
To design, build, and support the safest and most reliable transit buses in the United States. Our products help reduce congestion, contribute to a cleaner environment, and provide mobility to all.
Our Core Values
FAMILY
Our people matter
We consider each other to be the family that we have chosen, and we provide a caring work environment where every person is a valued, contributing team member.
QUALITY
Dedicated to excellence
We believe that quality must be the cornerstone of everything that we do, which relies on a team of great people focused on excellence each and every day.
SAFETY
Our top priority
We understand that nothing is more important than the well-being of our employees, our customers, and their customers; therefore, we make safety a top priority.
PASSION
Buses built with pride
We have a deep-seated pride for building the best buses on the market, and our passion fuels our urgency in the present and our commitment to the future.
INTEGRITY
Doing the right thing
We hold ourselves accountable to do the right thing with the right intentions every time, make fair and realistic commitments, and deliver faithfully on our promises.
Our History
Over 131 years of American spirit
GILLIG was founded in 1890 as a carriage and wagon shop in San Francisco. The business gradually evolved into a manufacturer of car bodies, hearses, trucks, and early model buses. In 1919, the GILLIG Brothers patented the "GILLIG Top," a hard-top automobile roof with sliding curtains. This innovation allowed open touring cars to be converted to comfortable, closed cars in minutes, without stopping the car. In 1932, GILLIG built our first school bus, which was our primary focus until the late 1970s. The Phantom heavy-duty, high floor transit bus debuted in 1980 and remained in production through 2008. In 1996, GILLIG introduced our Low Floor model, which is now available in a variety of styling options and propulsion systems.
Throughout our remarkable history, GILLIG has maintained a commitment to customer satisfaction and value. We believe in building a partnership with our customers, suppliers, and employees based on trust, honor, and integrity. Our daily focus on continuous improvement through customer, supplier, and employee feedback has resulted in the industry's most reliable and cost-effective transit bus.