US-based commercial trucks and buses maker Navistar has broken ground on its new and expanded manufacturing facilities at Jetplex Industrial Park in Huntsville, Alabama.
In July 2019, Navistar announced that it will invest $125m to expand its manufacturing facilities and will create 145 additional jobs at the Jetplex Industrial Park.
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Navistar intends to use the additional 110,000ft² of new manufacturing space to produce its next-generation of big-bore powertrains developed in alliance with its partner TRATON. The additional space is expected to be completed in the first half of 2023.
Navistar executive vice president and chief operating officer Persio Lisboa said: “Over the past two decades, the city of Huntsville has been a valuable partner and we are eager to expand our presence here.
“The local skilled workforce has proudly supported the implementation of our product strategy, and we look forward to incorporating some of the most advanced manufacturing standards into our Navistar Diesel of Alabama facility to continue to bring best-in-class products to the market.”
At present, the engine being built at the Huntsville plant is its International brand of A26, a 12.4-litre big-bore engine that is offered in Class 8 on-highway trucks including the International LT Series and RH Series, along with in vocational trucks such as the International HV Series and HX Series.
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By GlobalDataCurrently, there is 300,000ft² of manufacturing space for the assembly of the International brand A26 engine at Jetplex Industrial Park.
Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle said: “For more than two decades Navistar has trusted the Huntsville workforce with its big-bore engines, and we’re pleased to remain a key component in the organization’s growth.
“Our skilled manufacturing workforce is ready to take on the production of Navistar’s global powertrain, adding capacity to Huntsville’s reputation as the ‘propulsion capital’ of the world. Whether it’s across the country or across the universe, Huntsville gets you there.”
In September last year, the company announced its intention to invest over $250m for the construction of a new manufacturing facility in Texas. The investment, which is contingent on finalisation, is expected to create nearly 600 jobs in the San Antonio area.
The new manufacturing plant will be used to build its Class 6-8 vehicles that complement the company’s existing assembly manufacturing footprint in Springfield, Ohio and Escobedo, Mexico.
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Navistar officials performing the ground breaking ceremony. (Credit: City of Huntsville, Alabama.)
