Peterbilt Begins Denton Plant Expansion

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Heavy Duty Trucking  /  March 7, 2016

Peterbilt Motors Company recently broke ground on a 102,000-square-foot expansion to its heavy-duty truck manufacturing facility in Denton, Texas.

The expansion includes a new building that will increase the plant's production and testing capacity and is expected to be operational in January 2017. It is part of a multi-phase plant improvement project that already has increased receiving capacity on the east side of the plant and added an expansion to the west side of the plant.

The third phase will be completed in October, creating a new painted parts storage and retrieval system on the second level of the building.

“This expansion is Peterbilt’s largest facility investment since the construction of the Denton plant and it will make a significant impact on our operational efficiencies,” said Darrin Siver, Peterbilt general manager and Paccar vice president.

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Tax abatement to help Peterbilt expand

Denton Record-Chronicle  /  February 21, 2016

Peterbilt will soon begin a $23 million expansion of its current plant in Denton, now with the help of a tax abatement from the city.

The Denton City Council recently approved a 70 percent tax abatement for eight years, which means the company will get about $822,000 in incentives.

“Peterbilt is pleased with the City Council’s vote and we look forward to breaking ground for the expansion of our Denton manufacturing facility,” said Leon Handt, assistant general manager of operations, in a statement. “Peterbilt is proud to be the largest private employer in Denton County and we enjoy a positive working relationship with the city and county of Denton. This expansion will allow us to continue to grow and increase the efficiencies of our operations.”

The expansion, the first in 16 years, will add 17,500 square feet to the property to help increase production. It will increase dock doors and expand out from two different points on the building. The renovations won’t interfere with current production. Crews are producing more than 250 trucks per day, said Aimee Bissett, director of economic development for the city.

The expansion comes after the company added 500 jobs in 2014, and so far this year has added 200. In 2014, production levels increased 32 percent. When Peterbilt opened in Denton in 1980, it had just 83 employees.

Even before the hires this year, Peterbilt was the top private employer in the city, according to the most recent city report from October 2014. At that time, they had 2,100 employees.

Bissett said six local companies expanded and three companies relocated to Denton in 2014 because of Peterbilt’s growth.

“This may be the most growth of any organization in this community — certainly a commercial organization — not only for what they do but for what they’ve brought in as well,” said Jim Engelbrecht, a City Council member.