Volvo Trucks’ manufacturing plant in Dublin, Va. will begin laying off hundreds of workers in February amid what the company says is a decreasing demand for tractor trailers in North America.Volvo Trucks says a drop in demand for its trucks has led the company to lay off hundreds of its workers at its manufacturing plant in Dublin, Va.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported that one-fourth of the factory’s 734 workers will be laid off through a three-week period beginning in February.
“We’re seeing that highway truck customers, who drove much of the recent market growth in America, have largely accomplished the renewal of their fleet, so demand from that segment in particular is softening,” Volvo spokesman John Mies said.
At 1.6-million-squre feet, Volvo’s New River Valley Assembly Plant is the company’s largest truck manufacturing site. All of Volvo’s tractor trailer trucks for the North American market are made there.
The lay-off announcement follows news in September that the company would be paying $38.1 million for plant upgrades in Dublin, including a product showroom, training rooms and a theater with 200 seats for viewing trucks on a specially built Volvo test-track. The company said it plans on continuing with the expansion.
