Snyder celebrates Detroit Diesel expansion

LANSING, Mich. - Gov. Rick Snyder today praised Detroit Diesel Corp. - part of Daimler Truck North America - for establishing new production lines for heavy-duty truck powertrains and turbochargers at the company's Redford manufacturing headquarters, and hailed its investment in Michigan.

"We can all applaud Daimler for its significant investments in Detroit Diesel operations and thank this world-class company for choosing Michigan for this expansion," Snyder said. "Daimler's commitment demonstrates Michigan's singular leadership as a center of engineering, research, design and technical innovation with a business climate that enables their success."

Detroit Diesel announced it would invest approximately $128 million to bring the two new products to its existing heavy-duty engine and axle production portfolio. Detroit Diesel will be the industry's first commercial vehicle components facility that produces the complete integrated powertrain family. Michigan was chosen for the powertrain production over an existing Daimler facility in Germany and a site in Mexico. The turbocharger production will be moved from China to Michigan.

The investment will create or retain 197 jobs, bringing the overall employment at the Detroit Diesel facility to more than 2,500.

Snyder met with Daimler executives during his investment mission to Europe in March, when he and a Michigan delegation visited German and Italian government officials and major company executives to promote business opportunities in Michigan.

"Gov. Snyder's meeting with Daimler executives in Germany underscored the strong relationship between Michigan and the company and demonstrated that Michigan is more business-friendly than ever," said Michael A. Finney, Michigan Economic Development Corp. president and CEO. "The expansion of the Detroit Diesel facility will further strengthen Daimler's Michigan presence and provide additional high paying jobs for years to come."

Daimler Truck NA, headquartered in Portland, Ore., is the leading medium- and heavy-duty truck manufacturer in North America. Headquartered in Redford, Detroit Diesel Corp. is a subsidiary of DTNA and a leading manufacturer of on-highway heavy-duty diesel engines and axles for the commercial truck market. Daimler has invested more than $600 million in the Detroit Diesel plant in Redford since 2000, and has made the Detroit Diesel facility one of the leading Daimler truck engine plants in the world.

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