Navistar just celebrated the virtual groundbreaking of its $250 million truck manufacturing facility in San Antonio, Texas. The company also announced that its board of directors has appointed Persio V. Lisboa as president and chief executive officer.
Troy A. Clarke, who has held the roles of Navistar president, CEO and member of the board of directors since April 2013 and chairman of the board of directors since February 2017, will continue to serve the company in the newly created position of executive chairman. These changes are effective July 1.
San Antonio groundbreaking
On June 25, Navistar joined the city of San Antonio, Bexar County and the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation (SAEDF) in a virtual groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate construction of Navistar's new manufacturing facility in San Antonio. Check out the virtual groundbreaking ceremony here.
"This groundbreaking ceremony marks a milestone for us in the development of our new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility," said Clarke. "We are excited to become part of the San Antonio community, and we're confident this facility will reinforce Navistar's gains in the marketplace."
Located near Interstate 35, off U.S. Highway 281 and the frontage road connecting to Mitchell Lake Trailhead, the new 900,000-square-foot plant will have the capacity to produce Class 6-8 vehicles. Vehicle production at the facility is scheduled to begin early 2022, bringing more than 600 jobs to the San Antonio area.
The more than $250 million investment in Texas is a key component to the company's "Navistar 4.0" growth strategy, the company stated. The location of the San Antonio plant allows for significant logistics improvements and a consolidation of the company's supply base. The new facility will also incorporate the latest manufacturing principles – digital factory, connected machinery, lean manufacturing processes and cloud analytics – to enable predictive quality and maintenance, and allow data-driven decisions to be made on the shop floor in real time, according to Navistar.
"We are excited to launch Manufacturing 4.0 concepts at our new facility, as these advancements will reduce manufacturing complexity and increase quality," said Lisboa. "Sharing these new industrial advances and Manufacturing 4.0 concepts with our existing plants is an additional benefit we anticipate from our experience with this new facility."
The facility will include a general assembly line, body shop, paint shop and logistics center, as well as a truck specialty center, to make aftermarket modifications onsite.
Lisboa appointed president and CEO
On June 26, Navistar announced that its board of directors appointed Lisboa as president and CEO. Clarke, who has held the roles of Navistar president, chief executive officer and member of the board of directors since April 2013 and chairman of the board of directors since February 2017, will continue to serve the company as executive chairman.
"Now is an ideal time for Persio to become Navistar's next chief executive officer," said Clarke. "I have enjoyed the opportunity to lead Navistar for the last seven years, but it's now my intention to move toward retirement. Persio is a strong leader with a proven record of driving results. He understands our industry, knows our business segments and will position the company to capitalize on the opportunities ahead. He's a champion of our Navistar 4.0 strategy and has an ability to inspire, motivate and connect with employees, partners, customers and industry leaders. Persio's performance history is exactly what's required by Navistar as we transition into our next chapter, one I'm confident will be even more transformational and exciting than our last."
In Clarke's new role of executive chairman, he will dedicate his time to ensure a smooth leadership transition and continue to manage the discussions with TRATON, including its current proposal, received Jan. 30 to acquire Navistar at an offer of $35 per share. As president and chief executive officer, Clarke spearheaded Navistar's return to profitability and led the charge on the refresh of International's vehicle lineup, the company added.
Lisboa, 54, joined Navistar in 1988 and has moved through the company's ranks, serving as executive vice president and chief operating officer since March 2017. Prior to that, he served in several positions of increasing responsibility in the United States and South America, including president of operations and chief procurement officer. Lisboa has a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a marketing specialization from Pontificia Universidade Catolica University in São Paulo, Brazil.
"I am honored and humbled to lead this great organization that I've been a part of for more than 30 years," stated Lisboa. "On behalf of our employees, dealers, customers and shareholders, I want to thank Troy for leading Navistar through a difficult period, establishing our global alliance with TRATON and returning our company to growth and profitability."
"Together, the Navistar team and I are committed to delivering on our Navistar 4.0 strategy," Lisboa added. "We have strong momentum with our new product programs, including those under development with TRATON. The execution of our Lean Manufacturing 4.0 vision is on track, and we'll continue to introduce new, innovative business solutions to our customers, from connectivity to advanced technologies. I look forward to taking Navistar into this next phase of our strategy – positioning our brands, International Truck and IC Bus, as industry leaders."
