Lancashire manufacturer, Leyland Trucks is this year celebrating twenty years of ownership and investment by US-based Company PACCAR, a global technology leader in the design and manufacture of premium light, medium and heavy-duty trucks.
Since 1998, PACCAR has grown Leyland’s capabilities through strategic investments in technology, products and infrastructure. The Leyland Assembly Plant, which was already one of Europe’s most advanced truck manufacturing facilities, has benefited enormously from these investments.
In 1998, the factory manufactured 9,000 trucks per year. Innovative improvements to the 710,000-square-foot facility – including a new PACCAR body production line, a robotic paint facility for truck chassis, electronic work instructions with touchscreen monitors, and the consolidation of two production lines into one has since then enhanced production by 72% to over 15,000 trucks per year.
Installations of LED factory lighting and a new roof created a brighter work environment, contributing to record quality, efficiency and safety. In accordance with PACCAR’s commitment to environmental excellence, the factory achieved zero waste to landfill status in 2008.
In 2003, PACCAR Parts constructed a Parts Distribution Centre on the Leyland site to provide support for the DAF UK and European Dealer Networks. It now operates as one of Europe’s main Parts Distribution hubs specialising in aftersales support, distribution, logistics and service for DAF and other truck makes, buses and trailers.
“Leyland’s world-class status is maintained by our ability to leverage a community of expertise,” said Bryan Sitko, Leyland managing director.
“Our loyal and committed workforce pools their combined years of truck building knowledge and shares that asset with new employees. These efforts are crucial to helping us deliver industry-leading quality trucks built by quality people.”
Today, Leyland manufactures the full DAF product range of LF, CF and XF vehicles, 40 percent of which are exported around the world.
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