High Point, N.C. — Thomas Built Buses has announced the appointment of Kevin Bangston to vice president of finance and chief financial officer. For the past four years, he served as director of credit and dealer analysis at the Freightliner LLC corporate office in Portland, Ore.

“Bangston has the leadership skills and experience to help our company achieve its financial goals,” said John O’Leary, Thomas Built Buses president and CEO. “Thomas Built continues to be well-positioned to deliver the bus safety innovations our company is known for and our customers across the nation have come to expect.”

Bangston received his MBA in International Business from the University of South Carolina and, before joining Freightliner, worked in finance for an automotive supplier in both Charlotte, N.C. and Germany. He replaces Gary Dassenko, who has become director of finance and controlling for remanufacturing and aftermarket at Detroit Diesel Corporation, an affiliate of Freightliner LLC.

Thomas Built Buses (www.thomasbus.com) is the leading manufacturer of school buses in North America, with more than one-third of the market. Thomas Built Buses is a member of the Freightliner LLC, the largest heavy-duty truck manufacturer in North America and a leading manufacturer of class 3-8 vehicles. Freightliner LLC produces and markets commercial vehicles under the Freightliner, Sterling, Western Star and Thomas Built Buses nameplates. Freightliner is a company of DaimlerChrysler, the world’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturer.