Paccar Engine Company’s Lowndes County plant is investing $209 million to build a new remanufacturing facility next to its existing operations and will modernize its current production line. 

Paccar, which was constructed on a 400,000-square-foot site on Frontage Road in 2010, builds diesel engines for customers such as Kenworth Manufacturing Company and Peterbilt. Since 2010, it has made more than 300,000 engines at the facility and hired more than 800 people. 

In a press release issued Monday, the company said it will start construction in December for a 50,000-square-foot facility on the south end of the plant facing Charleigh D. Ford Jr. Drive to remanufacture used engines. The company will take those used engines and repair and upgrade components to extend their life. 

Upgrades of the company’s production equipment in the main plant area aim to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of its engines. 

Plant Manager Todd Wells said the new facility will allow customers to extend the life of their engines by one million miles. 

Upgrades of the company’s production equipment in the main plant area aim to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of its engines and possibly increase its manufacturing capabilities. 

“The PACCAR MX engine has a design life of one million miles, after which time the remanufacturing process can extend that life another one million miles,” Wells said. “Engine remanufacturing is good for the environment and provides value to Kenworth and Peterbilt truck owners who appreciate the opportunity to extend the life of their trucks with high-quality remanufactured PACCAR MX Engines.”

Both projects are expected to be complete by 2026 and create 100 additional jobs at the plant. 

Higgins said the LINK has been working with the company on the project for a few years. Paccar will invest about $30 million to build the new facility and spend $179 million to upgrade its current production line.

“The engines that (Paccar) makes and put in their trucks run around all over the country,” 

Higgins said. “This plant will take those engines, once they’ve lived their useful life, bring them back in and remanufacture them almost as good as new instead of just replacement.”

The Mississippi Development Authority is providing additional help with on-site upgrades, and the Tennessee Valley Authority and 4-County Electric Power Association are assisting with connecting the new facility to the grid. 

“TVA and 4-County Electric congratulate PACCAR on its decision to expand operations and create additional job opportunities and investment in Columbus,” TVA Senior Vice President of Economic Development John Bradley said. “Supporting economic growth in the region is fundamental to TVA’s mission of service. We are proud to partner with Mississippi Development Authority, Lowndes County and GTR LINK to further that mission and look forward to PACCAR’s continued success in Mississippi.

Gov. Tate Reeves announced the expansion via X, formerly known as Twitter, Monday afternoon.