About 270 workers have been recalled to Volvo Trucks North America’s New River Valley Assembly plant to meet increasing demand for orders.
The recall, representing about 23% of the workforce, will increase employment at the plant to just under 1,500, Volvo said. Workers will return the week of Sept. 6.
Volvo has received several big orders this year, including an order for 370 trucks from Knight Transportation back in February and an order for 600 trucks from Penske Truck Leasing in May. The Penske order is for Volvo VN670 tractors with EPA 2010-certified Volvo D13 engines.
Volvo has been trying to build its brand and credits some of the increase in orders to its strategy of bringing customers, both current and potential, into its facilities for tours.
The company announced in July it had produced its 300,000th 13-liter engine, a 500-hp D13. That engine was built at the Volvo Powetrain plant in Hagerstown, MD, and placed in a Volvo VN780 at the New River plant for delivery to Abilene Motor Express of Richmond, VA.
