Spirit 38 - Volvo Construction Equipment

New manufacturing technologies for more efficient production
Volvo throws open its doors for customers
and dealers
“We’ve got quality from
top to bottom: in the plant
itself, in our systems and
in our people.”
for the packaging in which materials arrive; bicycle racks for
employees, preferred parking for low emission vehicles, carpooling
and a comprehensive environmental training program for all new
employees.
The seasonal nature of road construction in North
America precludes work in the colder months and leads to a sharp
rise in activity in spring and summer. During the quieter period of
the cycle, Volvo has been busy training employees in time for the
upswing.
“We’re very optimistic about the spring season,” says
Thompson. “We are seeing some good orders at present and
I think we’ll have an opportunity to exercise this new factory.
We’ve got quality from top to bottom: in the plant itself, in our
systems and in our people.
“We have new manufacturing technologies for more
efficient production and we are very lucky to have the best work
teams in the business producing equipment of the highest quality
for a knowledgeable and demanding market.”
Text: Niall Edworthy
The recent customer and dealer ‘Open Door’
event at the Shippensburg plant in Pennsylvania, USA was
such a great success that plans are in motion to make it
an annual event.
Taking place over two days the ‘Open Door’
event brought together over 250 end-users, dealers
and press from across North America to showcase the
new facility and drive home the message of Volvo CE’s
commitment to the region.
“The feedback was extremely positive,” says
Dallas Reeves, of Product & Segment Sales Support.
“They were impressed by the facility as a whole and totally
blown away by the new expansion and the long-term
plans we have for the old building which will be brought
up to a similar standard. It showed them the level of
our commitment to the product as well as to the North
American market.”
The event gave Volvo Construction Equipment
the opportunity to show its dealer network that the
company is in North America for the long haul.
“Our dealers were as much a part of our target
audience as our customers,” adds Reeves. “We wanted
to make sure they knew exactly where we stood. They
needed a display of confidence and we gave it to them.”
“The event was originally planned as a one-off
but having proved such a success, I think it might become
an annual fixture. We’ll continue to bring in customers and
dealers on an individual basis, but it was great to bring
together so many people from across the region under
one roof.”
SPIRIT32