Just two years ago, a grassy lot sat vacant on the south end of PACCAR Engine Company’s campus on Frontage Road. On Wednesday, at that same space, a 50,000-square-foot remanufacturing facility buzzed with more than 100 community leaders, residents and employees gathered to celebrate the plant’s completion.
Gov. Tate Reeves stood shoulder-to-shoulder with PACCAR officials, golden scissors in hand, during Wednesday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony, hosted by the Golden Triangle Development LINK. The facility, part of a $209.4 million investment across the company’s campus, is expected to bring 100 new jobs to the area.
“Events like today don’t just happen by accident,” Reeves said during the ceremony. “… They happen because people across this community are committed to building a stronger future for all of Mississippi. … PACCAR’s expansion represents … the creation of another 100 good-paying jobs for the good people of the Golden Triangle. Those are not just numbers on a page, that’s families supported, that’s careers built and that’s more opportunities created right here in the great state of Mississippi.”
PACCAR opened its 400,000 square-foot engine manufacturing site in Lowndes County in 2010. The facility produces diesel engines for customers such as Kenworth Manufacturing Company and Peterbilt. Since opening, the plant has produced more than 350,000 engines and employs more than 800 workers.
Those engines are built to last up to 10 years or roughly 1 million miles before replacement. The new remanufacturing plant will allow the company to give those engines a second life.
Rather than discarding worn engines, employees will disassemble them, clean and restore the core components and rebuild them to “like new” condition, extending their service life for another decade or up to 1 million miles.
“It’s a good value for our customers,” plant manager Todd Wells told The Dispatch. “Also, it’s very environmentally friendly, because we’re recycling products, components and parts, so it adds a very green attribute to what we’re doing here in this business.”
At full production, the facility can remanufacture about 5,000 engines each year.
The remanufacturing plant represents about $32 million of the total campus investment. The remainder of the $209.4 million project went toward upgrades and new equipment at the main facility to increase production capabilities, Wells said.
Though Wells declined to share the salary range for the 100 new positions created by the expansion, Meryl Fisackerly, chief operating officer for the LINK, said the range falls “well above” the county average of $55,000.
Local leaders said the expansion signals continued confidence in the Golden Triangle and its workforce.
“This is a great day because here we are at an event that is enhancing the quality of life for so many people,” District 5 Supervisor Leroy Brooks said during the ceremony. “When you start giving people good jobs and good paychecks, guess what happens? They buy nice homes, and they buy nice cars and they educate their children, so the liberties are great.”
Lowndes County Board President Trip Hairston said PACCAR’s continued investment strengthens the entire Golden Triangle region, a sentiment Fisackerly shared.
“People need to realize how much it truly speaks about our region when a company decides to invest and reinvest again in the region,” Fisackerly told The Dispatch. “It just proves that we have what they need, as far as people and available land and resources, and so when you get a reinvestment, it’s almost even more exciting than getting an initial investment.”
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 33 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 33 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
