Navistar International Corporation has acquired new property in San Antonio, which includes existing buildings the company said will house support functions for its under-construction plant in the area.
Construction on 900,000-square-foot plant – where the company expects to produce International Class 6-8 vehicles, including new electric-powered trucks – is currently underway nine miles from the new site.
The additional property, which brings Navistar's total investment in the region to in excess of $275 million, will also house a state-of-the-art truck validation center to test and validate components of the company's growing electric truck business, and a truck specialty center to provide post-production customization of vehicles to support customers' business needs.
"Our expanded footprint in Texas near our manufacturing plant will allow us to dedicate space to new technologies like self-driving and connected vehicles, as well as support our growing investments in electrification and fuel cells," said Phil Christman, president of operations for Navistar. "Our team in Texas will work in tandem with our colleagues at our [Lisle, Illinois] headquarters, the Navistar Proving Grounds and other operations to support making best-in-class products."
Project engineers responsible for designing and finishing the San Antonio plant expect to begin working at the new property by June. The new site will host hiring events and training for future workers to support the launch of manufacturing operations at the San Antonio plant in 2022. Next month, the City of San Antonio and Bexar County will consider economic development incentives packages to support Navistar's increased investment in the region.
