Mack 3P

Mack the knife: more job cuts

Volvo is headquatered in Greensboro NC. Mack jobs are moving into the Volvo offices. (I can't say people.) We're told by Swedish VP's that it will reduce costs by not having two facilities in North American. We're told in January Volvo is going to start building a facility similar to what Mack has in Allentown for testing.

Mack Trucks sales continue to slide in weak economy "The company also recently announced that it is delaying the shift of heavy-duty truck production from its plant in Virginia to Lower Macungie. As part of its restructuring announcement in August, the company said it would be moving its headquarters to Greensboro, N.C., and discontinuing truck production in Virginia, shifting the work to Lower Macungie" They haven't announced a delay in moving headquaters to Greensboro.

That's great and I hope it continues to run and make money for you company.

Mack delays production shift Some things to point out through the propaganda. -The Mack spokesman is a Volvo employee located in Greensboro. -Most people here feel the delay is over the union contract. Volvo is trying to take things away from the Union and using the move as a bargaining chip. The plant has not even started tooling up for the highway truck. -The comment about half the people at WHQ moving is not totally true. Most people including myself say they are going to Greensboro so Volvo does not lay us off early. The staff at WHQ is mainly administrative. All engineering on Mack trucks is done at the Test Center.

I will not be moving to Greensboro. It's not best for my family. I've sent out my resume and I will leave as soon as I find a new job. I would have stayed and worked for Mack my entire carrier. To this point 13 people have left the Test Center. Most people here are not interested in working for Volvo or moving. Not sure of numbers at World Headquarters but there a few that have left and most are looking for new jobs. Lots of people are trying to figure out ways to stay and work from Allentown if they are going to remain with the company. No one still knows when the CHU and CXU will move to Macungie.

Morning Call Articles about Macks contracts with Millitary. Mack gets U.S. Army contract Mack Trucks lands another military contract MACK LANDS ANOTHER ARMY CONTRACT

Cartoons people around here made.

"The Sterling brand, a maker of medium-sized models which accounts for 15 percent of Daimler's U.S. truck output, "never met expectations,'' Daimler AG spokesman Heinz Gottwick said today. The unit was set up in 1998 from truck operations that Daimler bought a year earlier from Ford Motor Co. With orders remaining on a "downward trend'' and only a "moderate rebound'' foreseen in the U.S. economy in 2009, about 88,000 trucks have been "sidelined'' in North America as companies go bankrupt or are taken over, Chris Patterson, head of the trucks division in the region, said on a conference call. "We're not happy with the achieved return this year'' at Daimler's North American truck business, Patterson said. Conversely, with costs at European plants running at lower levels, Daimler is "better prepared'' to cope with a shrinking market there, Andreas Renschler, head of Daimler's global truck operations, said on the call. The company is closing its "highest-cost'' plants as it can't wait for possible government bailouts to maintain profit, and expects the remaining brands to pick up customers from Sterling." Bloomberg.com, 2008-10-14

Cheap Labor - Expensive Labor = More Profit Paccar has a plant in Mexico Navistar has a plant in Mexico Volvo has a bus plant in Mexico (Speculation they will move truck production there in the future) Freightliner has two plants on Mexico I think Mack and International will profit the most without the Sterling brand in the market. Western Star is going from a Canadian truck brand to Mexican... eh

Daimler To Drop Sterling Truck Brand DTNA announces major restructuring; Sterling brand to be discontinued. Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) today announced a comprehensive plan to adjust and strengthen company operations in response to continuing depressed demand across the industry and structural changes in the company's core markets. The measures to be implemented address key areas of DTNA's operations: The Sterling Trucks brand will be discontinued effective in March 2009. Additions to the Freightliner and Western Star product ranges will be made to address market segments that have been served exclusively by Sterling offerings in the DTNA stable. By concentrating the company's considerable technical and marketing resources on a more focused model line-up, DTNA expects to drive an even more attractive program of innovation in safety, environmental impact, and user productivity that will further strengthen the leadership position of Daimler Trucks in the North American commercial vehicle market. As a result of the decision to discontinue the Sterling brand, the St. Thomas, Ontario, plant will cease truck manufacturing operations in March 2009, concurrent with the expiration of the existing agreement with the Canadian Auto Workers members employed there. The plant currently manufactures Sterling medium and heavy-duty trucks. DTNA will also close the Portland, Oregon, Truck Manufacturing plant, in June 2010, when current labor contracts expire. Western Star commercial production will be assigned to the company's Santiago, Mexico plant, while production of Freightliner-branded military vehicles will take place at one of the company's facilities in the Carolinas by mid-year 2010. Start of production at DTNA's new Saltillo, Mexico manufacturing plant will occur as planned in February 2009. The plant will produce Freightliner's new flagship Cascadia model. As a result of the measures cited above, DTNA expects to achieve annual earnings improvements of $900 million by 2011. The EBIT effects amount to $600 million in total: approx. $350 million against the fourth quarter of 2008 (including approx. $300 million, which are primarily related to employee and dealer separation), $150 million in 2009 as well as expenses of $100 million in 2010 and 2011 in total. An estimated 2300 workers in the St. Thomas and Portland plants will be affected by mid-2010, on timelines related to the plant closures noted above. This figure includes 720 workers at the St. Thomas plant to be laid off in November 2008 as already announced in July. The company also plans to reduce its salaried workforce by approximately 1200 positions, with over half directly related to the Sterling brand. A voluntary separation program will be available as well as other measures to offer flexibility and choice to affected employees. Daimler news release, 2008-10-14

Somebody cleaning out their desk found this. whq1B.pdf

Going around work.

More articles from the last few weeks. Bill White's First Shot- Get rid of 'Mack Boulevard' Street name honors Mack workers Mack will continue to be a good citizen We have met the enemy and he is ... BMT is referenced in the comments section of this article.

International had a big add in this Sundays Morning Call. The postings say they are looking for 100 engineers from Allentown and they will interview in Allentown. Here's the link on the Navastar site. International

I'll try to sumarize what I know compared to what the papers are saying. I'll share more as I learn more. The CHU, CXU will move to Macungie from the Volvo New River Valley plant. They expect job losses at NRV. Macungie will add some new jobs. The Mack in NRV has not work so good. Every year someting changes. Last year the line was changed so that Macks and Volvo's ran on the same line. Mack World Headquaters jobs will move to Volvo HQ in Greensboro NC early 2009. They say empolyees will be able to transfer. WHQ employees include Parts, Service, Customer Satisfaction and administrative jobs along with a bunch of other stuff. Customer Engineering which works the special orders is also located in WHQ. They will move to the current Test Center in Allentown. We are told WHQ will be sold once everyone is out. The Test Center will be a "welcome center" for customers to see new trucks. The Test Center jobs which is Mack Product Development (engineering, testing, design) will move to Greensboro after we deliver the new US10 truck (early 2010). We are told we have the option to move to Greensboro. The question I have is to what job will be available? Volvo has engineers that do similar work on the Volvo that can just take it on for Macks. Today an announcemnt was made of who will be in charge of the move out of Allentown. Coincidently it is the same guy who tried to shut down Allentown a few years ago. When he was put in charge the Allentown staff was cut by close to half. Most of the Mack knowledge in Allentown will be lost since most people will not relocate. 10-20% of people transfer when employeers move. Alot of Mack employees are second generation and many have other family members employed by Mack. I've also heard (rumor) Volvo is expanding the Bus plant in Mexico.

More in the local Allentown news. Officials wanted shot to keep icon Move comes as shock to many Mack workers Loss leaves Valley feeling 'hit by a Mack truck' WFMZ TV

Morning Call Took a while to happen. Anyone need an engineer? I'll be looking for a new job

Waste Management Offers $6.19 Billion to Buy Republic Twist in the story.

Mack sales move up after yearlong slump

The way I understand it CXN became CXP with the MP engine and new cab. The US07 engine made it a CXU. You can get a CHN but there are no CHP's

I looked again at the CL. It's spec was from 2004. I'm not even sure how they would get the parts in the plant to build this truck.

Mack is beginning to export more trucks to South America, Europe, and Asia. I've seen a few around. I noticed they have differnet tail lights for Europe and use the Vision name on the CX. I'd be interested to see the CHA093 (CL).

Allied Waste Picked Up By Republic Both companies buy Mack's.

Production starts very soon. The first trucks rolling off the line are for Mack.