Christchurch firm Connexionz has won an $800,000 contract to supply visual display systems for buses in Santa Clarita, California, beating off seven other competitors.

Connexionz supplies electronic bus information systems and has had most success overseas in California. Its systems are used in buses in Christchurch. The company has about 400 shareholders, many of them Cantabrians.

The Santa Clarita contract involves installing LCD monitors and hardware in 86 buses operated by the city.

The monitors and information system will display and announce next stop information, provide public announcements, advertising and enables news, weather and sports updates to be provided to passengers.

Rhod Pickavance, director of sales, said the contract was a vindication of the company's hard work and focusing its efforts on the West Coast of the United States.

After a tough year in 2011 the company was on track now for its best year ever.

Its competitors for the Santa Clarita contract were six North American firms and one Japanese company.

Pickavance said its system was superior to its competitors in what it could provide to passengers and was cost-effective for the buyers.

The new contract comes after Connexionz set up a Real Time Passenger Information (RTPI) system for buses in Santa Clarita in April last year, and followed that this month with a $250,000 contract to supply additional information displays for passengers.

Roger Carruthers, chief executive, said the contract positioned the company to pick up more sales and was an extension of its product offerings.

It demonstrated the satisfaction of a key customer.

Connexionz was also working on the delivery of a major RTPI contract for Pasadena, targeted for completion early next year.

Other Connexionz systems in the United States are located in Antioch, San Francisco, Estes Park, Colorado, Charlottesville, the University of Virginia and Arlington County.

- © Fairfax NZ News