Rising customer demand for new Freightliners and Western Stars is causing Daimler Trucks North America to plan sharply increased production and employment levels at its Mt. Holly, N.C., and Portland, Ore., truck manufacturing plants during the last half of 2011.


Production and hiring will also increase significantly at the company's Saltillo plant in Mexico.

More than 1,230 new employees will be added to the company's manufacturing and administrative payroll in these three locations, DTNA announced. It will add another 120 shop and staff employees at the Gastonia, N.C., parts manufacturing plant.

Company officials said the hiring plans announced June 9 are in addition to the more than 1,300 positions filled in the company's truck and parts facilities during the first half of 2011.

"Our manufacturing network is highly scalable and together with our component suppliers, we are fully prepared to handle current and projected order levels," said Roger Nielsen, DTNA's chief operating officer. "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.

"We take great pride in our manufacturing workforce and in the proven performance, quality, and popularity of our vehicles."

The Mt. Holly plant will add a second shift to its operations and plans to fill an additional 535 manufacturing and 37 related administrative positions by September. Mt. Holly assembles 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 market.

The Portland plant plans to fill an additional 155 manufacturing jobs between September and the end of the year. Portland assembles Western Star 4800, 4900, and 6900 product lines, and later this year will begin work on the new 4700 model. This plant also manufactures Freightliner-branded military vehicles for use throughout the world.

The Saltillo plant in Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico, plans to add a third shift and 479 manufacturing workers beginning this month. A total of 32 staff positions will also be filled at the plant. The Saltillo plant manufactures Freightliner Cascadia trucks for the U.S., Canadian, and Mexican markets.

The Gastonia parts plant will add 121 manufacturing workers and three administrative positions by early in the fourth quarter of this year. It manufactures specialized parts and components for all the company's commercial vehicle products, supplying every DTNA facility in the U.S. and Mexico as well as Freightliner and Western Star parts distribution centers.

DTNA officials also noted that employment at its Cleveland, N.C., truck manufacturing plant expanded significantly in 2010 and jumped again in May, as part of the 1,300-position expansion announced earlier this year. Today's announcement includes 10 additional shop positions to be filled by the end of July.

The company expects to fill the majority of the new manufacturing positions at its U.S. plants with workers currently on layoff who will be recalled in order of seniority. Interested potential applicants are encouraged to contact their state employment office or visit the DTNA website for additional information.