Volvo Construction Equipment, welcomes industry guests to official opening of expanded Shippensburg, industrial complex

In an address to the attendees, Patrick Olney, Executive Vice President Operations for Volvo Construction Equipment, described the current status of the road machinery market in North America. He explained how the global financial meltdown has meant for Volvo CE – as for other equipment manufacturers – that “drastic action was necessary to protect the financial health of the business.”

Olney, who is responsible for the production of all Volvo CE products at fifteen (15) manufacturing facilities around the world, said: “Despite the difficult economic environment, we maintained our commitment to the $30 million investment at this factory in Shippensburg – not a penny was cut from the expansion program budget during this crisis, because we are committed to providing a state-of-the-art production facility here in the United States to serve our customers where they work.”

“We have increased our commitment to road products in North America. Research and development in North America has increased during the crisis, and we are currently investing heavily in Engineering to provide enhancements that are requested by our customers; to take care of customers who have put their trust in Volvo; to secure the development of the next generation of products to meet your demands; and, to continue to invest in research into future technologies to provide our customers with a competitive edge in productivity, safety and environmental performance,” insisted Olney.

“Volvo CE has the support of the entire Volvo Group – a global market leader in the development of heavy-duty diesel engines and one of the world’s largest construction equipment manufacturers,” he continued.

Finally, Olney strongly emphasized the fact that, today, Volvo CE is stronger than ever with more than 300 equipment models making the company a top competitor in the industry – and a third of these model offerings are dedicated to road building applications. “Our commitment to our customers in North America is firm – we will continue to earn their business every day and we will continue to keep promises made.”