Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) says it plans to sharply increase production and employment at two US plants from the second half of 2011. This is in response to high levels of orders for Western Star and Freightliner heavy trucks. The facilities in question are Mt. Holly in North Carolina and Portland in Oregon. Further rises in production and hiring levels will take place at the company’s Saltillo plant in Mexico.
DTNA says over 1,230 new employees will be added to the company’s manufacturing and administrative payroll in these three locations, with an additional 120 or more shop and staff employees to be taken on at the company’s Gastonia parts manufacturing plant in North Carolina.
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“Our manufacturing network is highly scalable and together with our component suppliers, we are fully prepared to handle current and projected order levels,” Roger Nielsen, DTNA’s chief operating officer states. “We have the capacity and the leverage to meet customer delivery schedules despite the industry supply challenges associated with economic recovery and recent global events.”
The Mt. Holly Truck plant will add a second shift to its operations and plans to fill an additional 535 manufacturing and 37 related administrative positions by September. The facility builds Freightliner M2 Business Class medium-duty, hybrid, and natural gas trucks, as well as Freightliner’s new line of 108SD and 114SD trucks built for the severe-duty vocational truck markets.
Portland Truck, meanwhile, makes Western Star vehicles including the 4800, 4900, and 6900 product lines, as well as pre-series versions of the new 4700 line which is due to enter series production later this year. The Portland plant also manufactures Freightliner-branded military vehicles.
As for Saltillo Truck, where over 500 new hires will be taken on from this month, this builds the Freightliner Cascadia for the US, Canadian, and Mexican markets.
