Shacman Mexico announced Tuesday it will build a Class 8 truck factory in Ciudad Sahagún, a town approximately 72 miles northeast of Mexico City.
The plant will produce Shacman X3000 and L3000 truck models for the North American market, with a goal of selling more than 5,000 units over the next five years, said Carlos Pardo, CEO of Shacman Mexico.
“Our goal and vision is for Mexico to become the basis to supply all Shacman truck needs throughout the American continent,” Pardo said during a video press conference.
The factory will begin assembling the trucks by the end of the year. The trucks will come equipped with either natural gas or diesel engines.
Pardo did not disclose how much the factory will cost to build. It will initially employ 30 workers and expand as more orders are received.
Shacman Trucks is based in Xi’an, China. The company, known as Shaanxi Heavy Duty Automobile Co. in China, is one of the largest truck manufacturers and dealers in that country, according to its website.
The company has factories in 13 countries, around 35,000 employees worldwide, and 100 dealerships in countries throughout Asia, Europe, Africa and Latin America.
Currently there are only three other truck manufacturers in Mexico, including Daimler Trucks North America, which produces its Freightliner Cascadia in the cities of Saltillo and Santiago; Navistar, which has a large truck assembling operation in the city of Escobedo; and Kenworth Mexicana, which has a plant in Mexicali.
Shacman will also have dealerships/distributors in Mexico City, Monterrey (northern Mexico), Guadalajara, Veracruz and Bajío (central Mexico) by the end of year.
Shacman launched in Mexico in December, when Pardo came aboard as CEO.
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