Navistar ramps up production

Navistar International Corporation has announced it will be boosting its truck and bus production in the second half of 2014

The future for American trucking firm Navistar is looking a little more optimistic, with the company recently announcing it will be increasing production significantly at two of its facilities in the second half of this year.

Production will be raised by 17 per cent at Navistar’s bus manufacturing plant in Tulsa, Oklahoma, compared to the first half of 2014, while production will climb by 24 per cent at the firm’s heavy truck facility in Escobedo, Mexico.

Navistar’s Chief Operating Officer, Jack Allen, said the move reflected a generally improving outlook for the truck sector and a heightened customer response.

“Clearly we’re seeing some positive trends in the industry but, more importantly, we’re seeing good customer response to our product offerings in the market,” he said.

“As a result, we’re increasing our second-half production rates at two of our vehicle manufacturing operations.”

Meanwhile Navistar’s truck assembly plant in Springfield, Ohio, will maintain its production level, as facility upgrades are carried out and the roll-out of lean manufacturing principles continues.

“We’re seeing strong interest from customers for the Cummins ISB engine in our medium-duty trucks and school buses,” Allen said.

“And there’s great anticipation for our vocational truck products powered by our 9-litre and 10-litre engines that will launch this summer with SCR [Selective Catalytic Reduction] emissions technology. With these product offerings, we’re seeing some positive momentum in our truck and bus orders and have an order backlog 80 per cent higher than at this time last year.”

Navistar ramps up production

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