Kenworth Truck Company held a groundbreaking ceremony April 24 to start construction on a $140 million, 120,000 sq.-ft. paint facility addition to its Class 8 truck assembly plant in Chillicothe, Ohio.
The facility is expected to open in 2021 adjacent to the current plant. The expansion represents a nearly 25% increase to the current 502,000 sq.-ft. plant, which is located on a 120-acre site 50 miles south of Columbus, Ohio.
The ceremony featured Harrie Schippers, PACCAR president and chief financial officer; Mike Dozier, Kenworth general manager and PACCAR vice president; and Jay Timmons, president and CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), as well as Judy McTigue, Kenworth assistant general manager of operations; and Rod Spencer, Kenworth Chillicothe plant manager. Federal, state, county and local officials from Ohio also participated in the groundbreaking.
In addition, the installation of a new $33 million robotic cab assembly cell is scheduled for completion this summer. The cell will occupy 40,000 square feet on the existing production floor.
