CHICAGO — Navistar International received the U.S. Chamber of Commerce‘s 2010 U.S. Community Service Award for an employee-to-volunteer effort.

The award recognizes the OEM’s Huntsville, Ala.-based plant’s program that gave employees the opportunity to work in the community during a temporary lull in production.

Instead of being laid off, employees refurbished homes for Habitat for Humanity, created numerous wheelchair ramps for CASA (Care Assurance Systems for the Aging and Homebound) and sorted inventory for the Salvation Army.

"This is a very prestigious honor for a unique effort that made a meaningful impact in the community-and at Navistar. It was a win for everyone," said Daniel C. Ustian, Navistar’s chairman, president and CEO. "The local charities benefited because they received some much-needed help; Navistar won because we were able to retain a skilled and talented workforce; and our employees won because they were able to keep their jobs with full pay and benefits until production picked up."