Mack’s Vikner says goodbye
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Mack Trucks president and CEO Paul Vikner stepped down as of April 1 after 38 years in the trucking industry. His last act as the top Bulldog came as he hosted the Mack press conference at the Mid-America Trucking Show last Thursday. He had been the company’s president since 2001.
Dennis R. Slagle has succeeded Vikner. The 53-year-old has served since 2003 as president and CEO of Volvo Construction Equipment North America and he has more than 25 years of
experience in that industry. He was formerly president of L.B. Smith, Inc., Volvo Construction Equipment’s largest North American dealer at the time.
Vikner will become vice chairman of the Mack board of directors. He will also continue to represent both Mack and its parent company, the Volvo Group, in their work with various federal government entities and industry organizations affecting the Volvo Group’s North
American truck operations. He said he’ll be spending much of his time in Washington, DC.
“We don’t see any bright light right around the corner,” Vikner said in addressing the truck manufacturing industry’s present plight. “It’s likely that 2009 will be better than 2008 but going out to 2010 it’s anybody’s guess.”
He added that the next emissions hurdle in 2010 will probably not be as disruptive as 2007 in terms of truck sales. “The whole industry learned a lot during the ’07 launches.”
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Attn: Paul Viner, former CEO of Mack Trucks, Inc.
Hi Paul,
It’s Mike O’Shea. Long time now see. How are you?
I guess there has been a lot of water under the bridge since we both were at MI together. The last time we were together at MI we were working in the South American Region under Jerry Noll and you were headed to IVECO. Later when you were at Suzuki Trucks America, we met in Japan. I was in Japan from 1982 until 1995 where I operated several businesses. I married a Japanese woman from Kyushu, named Minako Senju. Since 1995, I have lived in Phoenix, Arizona. We have two children. Michele, lives in Chicago, is a surgeon and is married to another doctor. Recently they had a baby boy, our first granndchild. I also have a son, Bobby (Robert), who lives in Phoenix.
What have you been up to? Are you still in contact with Paul Hozza.
There are several of us trying to put together the story of Mack International from 1962 to 1990. I hope that you can participate too.
Write when you get a chance,
Fellow MI Mack Trucker,
Mike O’ (= Mike O’Shea. I have signed this way for many years. It is my moniker)