The Ballymena firm has a full order book for the rest of 2004

The Kowloon Motor Bus Company, which is one of the world's biggest transport companies, has ordered the vehicles from the Ballymena firm, Wrightbus .

It is the second 50-bus order to be won by the company from Kowloon and delivery will begin in March.

The order will continue at the rate of two buses a week until the end of the year.

Wrightbus also has a contract to supply single-deck buses to the Netherlands, and buses in kit form to an operator in the United States.

The company's vice-president, Patrick Hurst, said the company, which employs nearly 800 people, has a full order book for the next nine months.

Hong Kong is a specific niche market in that it buys mainly double deckers and it does like the British built double deckers as a rule Patrick Hurst Wrightbus

"At the moment, primarily, we are delivering into the home market which we would classify as the UK mainland and Northern Ireland," he said.

"We delivered over 110 buses last year into the Netherlands and we are currently working on a couple of contracts also in the Netherlands for 2004.

"The European market has a lot of potential for us. We are currently focusing on the likes of Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands but there are also opportunities in places like Italy and Spain.

"Europe offers us a lot of opportunity, whereas Hong Kong is a specific niche market in that it buys mainly double deckers and it does like the British built double deckers as a rule."

Northern Ireland Enterprise Minister Ian Pearson said the order was "a marvellous endorsement of Wrightbus as a designer and manufacturer of a range of superb vehicles which incorporate advanced technology for both drivers and passengers".

"Wrightbus has set itself apart from rivals and achieved outstanding success in this most competitive market by investing extensively in innovation and eye-catching design," he said.