BELLEVUE, Wash. – Paccar is celebrating 10 years of North American engine manufacturing.

The company began planning to produce engines in its Columbus, Mississippi factory in 2006, bringing in a team from Kenworth, Peterbilt, and DAF to lay the groundwork for the plant. Columbus was chosen for its proximity to transportation networks and availability of talent.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held in 2007 to mark the start of construction for the US$400-million facility. It has produced more than 250,000 MX-11 and MX-13 engines to date.

“The level of commitment Paccar engine factory employees have toward their work and their community is something that really resonates within the Peterbilt family and our customers.  We would like to congratulate everyone at the Columbus, Mississippi engine factory for a decade of delivering high quality PACCAR MX engines that benefit our customers in many ways,” said Jason Skoog, Peterbilt general manager and Paccar vice-president.

“Congratulations to the Paccar engine factory and its tremendous, dedicated employees who have supported Kenworth fleets and truck operators with Paccar MX engines for the past decade,” added Kevin Baney, Kenworth general manager and Paccar vice-president. “The factory has played a major role in Kenworth’s growth by providing fuel-efficient engines for our customers throughout the U.S. and Canada.”