Volvo Construction Equipment earns silver in I Make America campaign

Since the launch of the I Make America employment campaign in 2010, Volvo Construction Equipment has been a dedicated partner of the initiative and has contributed to its overall success. I Make America (IMA) recently celebrated one year as a grassroots campaign promoting the creation of new manufacturing jobs in the US by raising awareness of the issue and asking state legislators and members of Congress to enact new job development policies – particularly through ambitious construction projects and the restoration of the US’s aging infrastructure.

Volvo CE, which has a factory in Shippensburg, Penn., is one of 16 manufacturers to achieve silver or gold status in the campaign thus far. To reach silver level, Volvo CE had to realize at least 10% employee participation and create a “Day in American Life” video showing its dedication to the American manufacturing sector. It also had to communicate the IMA message across the company, to vendors and dealers, and to lawmakers and local media via letters, intranet sites, newsletters, posters, IMA-centered activities and social media channels.

“We are proud of Volvo CE for achieving silver status in the I Make America campaign,” said Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) President Dennis Slater. “As a member of AEM, Volvo CE’s commitment to investing in the American manufacturing jobs of tomorrow is a positive indication that the men and women who make America are important to the nation’s economy.”

Volvo (helps) make America 

Volvo CE is involved in job creation through the ongoing expansion of its Shippensburg facilities. Following the announcement that Volvo is to invest a further $100 million into the plant, construction is set to begin on a new demonstration and training center and offices for marketing, sales and technology teams. The factory’s assembly line is also being expanded to make room for the production of wheel loaders, excavators and articulated haulers alongside its current road machinery products.

“Volvo CE supports I Make America because manufacturing is a cornerstone of the nation’s prosperity and needs to be protected and encouraged,” says the company’s regional Vice President of Corporate Communications, Bill Law. “We’re doing our part by bringing hundreds of jobs to the Shippensburg area through this investment. And because machines that were once imported from Europe will now be built in America, the investment will also have a positive impact on employment in the wider community and among domestic US-based suppliers.”

Volvo CE’s “Day in American Life” video can be found at http://www.youtube.com/user/IMakeAmerica#p/u/28/IKyRGjKpuZM