The Garland facility has been closed since 2012, when most of the truck production that it supported moved away from Garland.
Since 2012, demand for modifications on Peterbilt trucks produced in Denton, Texas, has grown steadily. Currently those trucks are modified in Charlotte, N.C., and Gainesville, Ga., for use in the auto transport and street sweeper markets. Moving all Peterbilt production to Garland allows trucks to be modified and then be placed back in the OEM shipping system, improving efficiency for many body builders, the company says.
“Using the Garland facility enables us to be closer to Peterbilt’s manufacturing facility in Denton and also to consolidate work that had been done in Charlotte and Gainesville,” says Ivan Barnes, general manager of Fontaine’s Garland facility. “There has been a lot of growth over the past year in the auto hauler segment, along with requests for additional modifications on Peterbilt trucks. This consolidation will help us be more efficient and improve vehicle turnaround time.”
Limited production will begin in Garland this month, and the facility should be fully operational in early 2015. Fontaine expects to staff the modification center with a mix of relocated current personnel, employees who previously worked at the Garland facility and new hires.
The shop at 725 S. Jupiter Road in Garland features 45,000 sq. ft. of workspace and will be fully updated before being reopened, the company says.
