Starcraft Bus

What Starcraft Bus does

Starcraft Bus is a North American shuttle bus brand operating as a wholly-owned label of Forest River Bus, LLC, which is in turn a subsidiary of Forest River, Inc. and ultimately owned by Berkshire Hathaway. Headquartered in Goshen, Indiana, Starcraft manufactures shuttle buses on multiple OEM chassis platforms (Ford E350, E450, F550, F650, and Transit; Freightliner; International TC) with passenger capacities ranging from 14 to 45 and lengths from 20 to 40 feet. Core technology centers on fully-welded steel cage body construction meeting FMVSS 220 (rollover) and FMVSS 214 (side impact) standards, fiberglass front and rear caps, ADA-compliant wheelchair lifts and securement systems, and straight side wall construction for passenger comfort. The portfolio includes the Allstar (standard and XL variants across multiple chassis), MVP, and Starlite (standard and Transit) models, all backed by an industry-first 5-year/100,000-mile comprehensive warranty.

Starcraft generates revenue through one-time sales of completed shuttle bus units, distributed exclusively through an authorized dealer network across the United States and Canada (the company does not sell factory direct). End customers span four primary verticals: government and public transportation (transit agencies, paratransit, ADA services), faith-based organizations (churches, senior and youth transport), commercial and private sector (corporate fleets, employee shuttles, airport transfers), and education (activity buses and field trips). Named customers include South Bend Transpo and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Salina, alongside bus dealerships (Best Bus Sales, Carpenter Bus, Creative Bus Sales, Transportation South) that resell Starcraft vehicles.

The business is embedded in Forest River Bus's multi-brand portfolio, which includes Champion, ElDorado, Glaval, StarTrans, Collins Bus, Trans Tech Bus (acquired 2024), L.A. West Coaches (acquired 2024), MobilityTRANS, and Forest River Van. Forest River Bus claims to be North America's largest shuttle bus manufacturer, with over 100,000 buses built cumulatively across its brands and 10,000+ customers. Starcraft is supported by Forest River's long-standing OEM partnerships (Ford Top Volume Account since 2006) and the financial backing of Berkshire Hathaway, though standalone revenue, headcount economics, and brand-level financials are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Starcraft Bus

Legal name

Forest River Bus, LLC

Website

https://starcraftbus.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Starcraft Bus is a Goshen, Indiana-based shuttle bus brand owned by Forest River Bus (Berkshire Hathaway), manufacturing ADA-compliant buses on Ford, Freightliner, and International chassis for government, faith-based, commercial, and education customers via an authorized North American dealer network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Shuttle Bus Manufacturing

NAICS

Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing (33621)

SIC

Truck & Bus Bodies (3713)

akta.pro primary industry

Bus Body & Coachbuilder / Bus Body Assembly (IMACADAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Shuttle/Paratransit & Community Bus Manufacturing (IMACADAD), Bus & Coach Body Manufacturing (Coachwork) (IMACAGAE)

Keywords

• Shuttle bus manufacturing
• Commercial buses
• ADA accessible vehicles
• Passenger transportation
• Chassis upfitting

Headquarters

HQ city

Goshen

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Shuttle Bus Sales: Starcraft Bus generates revenue through the sale of shuttle buses to customers via its dealer network. Vehicles are sold as completed units built on various OEM chassis platforms.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Starcraft Bus designs, manufactures, and sells a lineup of shuttle buses (14–45 passenger capacity, 20'–40' lengths) built on multiple OEM chassis platforms (Ford E350/E450/F550/F650/Transit, Freightliner, and International TC) for commercial, government, faith-based, and educational transportation buyers. All buses feature steel cage body construction, ADA-compliant wheelchair accessibility, and an industry-leading 5-year/100,000-mile comprehensive warranty, and are sold exclusively through an authorized dealer network across North America.

Product overview

Starcraft Bus is a shuttle bus brand under Forest River Bus (a Berkshire Hathaway company) offering a portfolio of shuttle buses built on various chassis including Ford E350, Ford E450, Ford F550, Ford F650, Ford Transit, Freightliner, and International TC. The product lineup includes the Allstar (available in standard and XL variants), MVP, and Starlite (available in standard and Transit variants). All models feature steel cage construction, ADA-compliant accessibility options including wheelchair lifts and securement systems, and come with an industry-leading 5-year/100,000-mile comprehensive warranty. The buses range from 14 to 45 passenger capacity with lengths from 20' to 40'. Starcraft positions itself as an innovator focused on safety, comfort, and customer experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Allstar: Best-selling shuttle bus engineered for safety with backup camera and 4-inch low standard floor wheel wells.
• Allstar XL F550
• Allstar XL F650
• Allstar XL Freightliner
• Allstar XL International TC
• MVP
• Starlite
• Starlite Transit

Products and services

• Allstar Best-selling Starcraft shuttle bus engineered for safety with a standard backup camera and 4-inch low floor wheel wells for passenger seating comfort; targeted at shuttle and paratransit buyers.
• Allstar XL F550 Large Starcraft shuttle bus built on the Ford F550 chassis with straight side wall construction, wide aisle, and rock-solid steel frame cage for higher-capacity passenger transport.
• Allstar XL F650 Large Starcraft shuttle bus built on the Ford F650 chassis with straight side wall construction, wide aisle, and spacious passenger experience including wheelchair accessibility, available with diesel or gas engine options.
• Allstar XL Freightliner Heavy-duty Starcraft shuttle bus built on the Freightliner chassis with straight side wall construction, wide aisle, and steel frame cage for passenger comfort and safety on demanding routes.
• Allstar XL International TC Starcraft Allstar XL variant built on the International TC chassis with straight side wall construction, wide aisle, wheelchair accessibility, and multiple luggage storage options.
• MVP Ford cutaway Starcraft shuttle bus offering the most capacity available in the lineup, seating up to 28 passengers or 24 passengers plus luggage, targeted at high-occupancy shuttle and paratransit use.
• Starlite Narrow-body Starcraft shuttle bus with a small turning radius, wide entry door, and deep steps, positioned as a more maneuverable alternative to raised-roof vans.
• Starlite Transit Compact narrow-body Starcraft shuttle bus built on the Ford Transit chassis, designed for easy driver handling, small turning radius, and a wide entry for passengers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5-year/100K-mile comprehensive warranty - industry first and industry-leading coverage
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Ford Motor CompanycoreTechnology or IntegrationLong-standing OEM partnership providing chassis platforms (E350, E450, F550, F650, Transit) for Starcraft and Forest River Bus products. Forest River has been recognized as Ford's Top Volume Account for Bus and Mobility every year since 2006. Strong collaboration includes access to chassis availability and product development support.
• FreightlinercoreTechnology or IntegrationOEM partnership providing Freightliner S2C chassis platform for XL-series shuttle buses including Allstar XL Freightliner, Senator II, and Legacy models.
• International (Navistar)coreTechnology or IntegrationOEM partnership providing International TC chassis platform for Allstar XL International TC, Advantage XL International TC, and Senator II HD IC models.
• General Motors (Chevrolet)majorTechnology or IntegrationOEM partnership providing GM 3500/4500 chassis platforms for Glaval and other Forest River brands. Mentioned as one of the top OEM manufacturer partnerships.
• Mercedes-BenzmajorTechnology or IntegrationOEM partnership mentioned as one of the top manufacturer partnerships. Mercedes chassis used for various shuttle bus applications and luxury van conversions.
• ChryslermajorTechnology or IntegrationOEM partnership mentioned as one of the top manufacturer partnerships for chassis supply.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Thomas Built Buses: Daimler-owned school and activity bus manufacturer with broader transit offerings. While focused on school buses, it competes with Starcraft's activity and shuttle product lines among institutional customers.
• REV Group: Public multi-brand manufacturer of specialty vehicles including commercial buses (Collins, Champion Bus competitor, E-ONE, KME). Competes with Starcraft through several bus brands and offers broader transit and shuttle options.
• IC Bus (Navistar): Navistar/International brand manufacturing school and commercial buses. Overlaps with Starcraft on Type A and shuttle/activity bus segments and is also a chassis supplier, creating both a competitor and partner dynamic.

Direct peers

• Glaval Bus: Sister brand under Forest River Bus building shuttle and paratransit buses on Ford and GM chassis. Directly comparable in product, customer base, and distribution model.
• StarTrans Bus: Sister brand under Forest River Bus, also acquired in 2001, producing shuttle buses on light- and medium-duty chassis. Competes head-to-head with Starcraft in the same dealer channel.
• Arboc Specialty Vehicles: Independent North American manufacturer of purpose-built transit and shuttle buses. Closest external competitor to Starcraft in the shuttle/paratransit segment with similar chassis-based production approach.
• ElDorado Bus: Sister brand under Forest River Bus manufacturing shuttle buses on similar chassis platforms. Competes with Starcraft within the same dealer network and serves the same commercial and government customer base.
• Collins Bus: Sister brand under Forest River Bus focused on Type-A school buses and shuttle products. Same parent backing and dealer network, with overlapping product lines in the small and mid-size shuttle market.
• Goshen Coach: Independent shuttle and mobility bus manufacturer also based in Indiana. Competes with Starcraft in the commercial shuttle and paratransit segments with similar chassis integration capabilities.
• Champion Bus: Sister brand under Forest River Bus building shuttle buses on Ford, Freightliner, and other chassis. Identical product offering, dealer channel, and parent backing as Starcraft, making it the closest direct peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/starcraft-bus

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Starcraft Bus