One of the most modern diesel engine plants in the world is tucked away in Huntsville, Alabama. International’s Huntsville Powertrain Manufacturing Plant turns out big-bore diesel engines as well as the S13 integrated powertrain.

The first iteration of the plant dates to 2001. But International has systematically updated and modernized the facility to keep pace with the onslaught of new technologies coming into the trucking industry.

A prime driver of those enhancements was initially the company's strategic partnership with Volkswagen Truck and Bus. The modernization efforts only accelerated the global truck maker made a deal to purchase what was then Navistar, becoming an integral part of Traton in 2021.

And the investments and upgrades are continuing as International integrates new Traton technology into its designs.

Heavy Duty Trucking sat down with Brandon Tucker, International Huntsville Powertrain Plant manager, about where the plant is today, and about its big plans for the future. 

And after a few moments discussing how awesome the Alabama Crimson Tide Football Team is, HDT executive editor Jack Roberts and Tucker got down to business.

HDT: I’ve been through this plant a couple of times. It is as modern as any manufacturing plant I’ve ever toured. And you’ve been added on considerably since it first opened.

Tucker: The genesis of the plant we have today really began in 2016 or 2017. That’s when we inked the strategic alliance with Volkswagen Truck and Bus and began preparing to manufacture the new S13 powertrain.

We added 110,000 square feet as part of that investment. And today, the plant is at 400,000 square feet in total.

That was a huge investment of over $200 million. And we have a very nice, modern facility today as a result.

HDT: Traton obviously has a lot of confidence in the Huntsville area to put that kind of money into the facility.

Tucker: Absolutely. The state of Alabama has been on a tear for the past 30 years. It has been super-welcoming and receptive to the automotive industry. All the major players are here in the state. 

But Huntsville, in particular, is special from a technology standpoint. There is a lot of aerospace industry here with a lot of systems and engineering expertise in the work force.

The growth here in Huntsville has outpaced the rest of the country for the past several years.

So the investments that International has made in the technology and products we’re producing here really fit right in with the Huntsville community.

HDT: Was Huntsville Traton’s first choice to produce the S13 powertrain because of the area’s strong technology base and workforce?

Tucker: There were several locations considered. But this plant had a lot of engine manufacturing knowledge going back to 2001. And we were building a base platform with our brand partner MAN at the time. And of course, MAN is also in the Traton Group.

But I think more than anything, it was the people and the history we have here. You have to have good products and good systems. But it all starts with the people. And I think that’s why Traton decided this plant warranted the investment in its future.

HDT: How have things changed since Traton acquired International? Will there be an influx of new technology and products coming into this facility from Europe?

Tucker: That’s a good question. We work very closely with our Traton partners on powertrain technology. Really, more so than any other International facility in the country.

Remember, we’ve been working with Traton on this global powertrain technology since 2018. That was three years prior to International being acquired by Traton as part of the strategic partnership.

We maintain a very close working relationship with Traton powertrain in Europe. This product is all governed together. All decisions are made together. That because we have so many critical processes within the engine assembly line that have to be exactly the same, whether it’s with Scania in Sweden or Latin America, or MAN in Germany, or with International here in Huntsville.

HDT: Do Huntsville workers go overseas to collaborate with Traton powertrain specialists?

Tucker: Yes. It goes both ways. We have Traton folks come in from Europe on a regular basis. And we visit their plants as well. It’s part of our Global Product, Global Quality design directive.

Say for example we get into some kind of a bind or have a capacity situation arise in another part of the world. We need to know what to expect if we need to supply blocks, or heads, or cranks or cams. This is a global product. It goes all over the world. So quality and compatibility has to be absolutely consistent at all times, regardless of where we are.

HDT: How do you feel about the future of Huntsville powertrain plant, given all the zero-emission and alternative-fuel technologies coming on line today?

Tucker: We feel like the future is really bright. We have a lot of longevity in this facility with the powertrain platform we’re building today. We’re really just get started on that journey.

But we are looking to the future – particularly when it comes to lower-emission powertrains. There’s not a lot I can share about that at the moment. There’s a lot of uncertainty out there right now. But we’re certain electric powertrains are coming. The question is, when? 

But our perspective is that we’re going to be a primary manufacturing facility for International powertrains going forward. And it doesn’t matter if it's an electric powertrain or something else.

And new Traton zero-emission products will be launched in the next few years. And Huntsville is going to a part of that journey.

HDT: You definitely have a lot going on here.

Tucker: We do. We’ve got a great team here in Huntsville. That’s why we’ve already doubled this plant in size. And we’re heading toward tripling it in size here over the next couple of years.

We started with about 120 employees. And we’ll be over 300 by the end of this year. We’re extremely proud of what we’re doing here. And we’re looking forward to great things in the future.