Navistar’s Chatham plant planning for rebound
CHATHAM, Ont. — International’s Canadian heavy-duty truck plant is expected to kick into a higher gear in the second half of this year thanks to anticipated demand for the truckmaker’s ProStar highway truck, a company spokesperson says.
Speaking to the Chatham Daily News, Roy Wiley said he’s “certain” a pickup is coming for the third or fourth quarter of this year.
However, Mike Neuts, the plant’s CAW Local 127 chairman, told the paper he was slightly less optimistic. Neuts said order boards aren’t exactly filling up fast in the near term.
About 700 workers are currently on layoff at the plant as a result of the current downturn. The expected ’07 slowdown follows record class 8 sales in 2006 because of a massive “pre-buy” surge from carriers and dealers placing orders of current equipment in advance of new, more expensive diesel engines.
— with files from the Chatham Daily News
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