PACCAR to increase production and staff

In a boost for Australian manufacturing and the local economy, and a bold move for the company, PACCAR Australia is in the process of recruiting more than 120 people for its Bayswater manufacturing facility.

PACCAR says customer demand for trucks has driven the need for increased truck production in the coming months, resulting in growth in the factory workforce and related engineering and administrative support at its head office in Melbourne.

In the first half of this year, Kenworth sales were down 29 per cent compared to 2019, but DAF bucked the downward trend of most of the heavy-duty market by posting an increase of 14.8 per cent over the same period last year.

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“The current operating environment globally is uncertain, and especially in Victoria at the moment, but we are immensely proud we are able to employ more people and support economic growth within the local community,” said Andrew Hadjikakou, Managing Director, PACCAR Australia.

“We have been manufacturing Kenworths in Australia for 49 years and the majority of our suppliers of component parts are small-to-medium businesses, many of whom are local to our factory.

"When we increase our production, they increase their production. The flow on effect through our local supply chain means many more people are affected than just the people we are employing.

“The increase in staff is not only a great boost for the local economy, but it’s great for morale and we look forward to welcoming our new team members as they continue to join the business over the coming weeks.

“Despite the positive news, COVID-19 has not left us unscathed. Our operations team has worked to make manufacturing Kenworths and assembling DAFs at the plant in Melbourne safe for all workers according to the Government’s guidelines on social distancing and maintaining health standards,” Mr Hadjikakou concluded.