Godwin Manufacturing celebrated Manufacturing Day by hosting an event featuring a recently built North Carolina DOT truck with a Freightliner chassis assembled in North Carolina.
Most of the major components within the truck were manufactured in the state: The engines were manufactured by Cummins in Rocky Mount, the driveline components in Fletcher, Forest City, and Laurinburg by Meritor, structural plastics in Monroe and Bryson City by Conmet. The unit was then finished at the Godwin manufacturing facility in Dunn, with the installation of NC-manufactured Parker hydraulic components, and Godwin, Good Roads and Champion dump body, plow, and hoist.
Godwin Group President Pat Godwin Jr. stated that these units were "manufactured of the people, for the people, and by the people of North Carolina.”
The event was co-hosted by Freightliner, Conmet, Cummins, Meritor and Virgina Truck Center. Guest speakers included Governor Pat McCrory, Commerce Secretary Sharon Decker, Chief
Deputy Secretary Nick Tennyson NC DOT, Cummins Rocky Mount Engine Plant manager Calvin Balance and Freightliner Truck plant manager Mark Hernandez.
"Today, we are letting the world know that North Carolina has the skilled workforce to produce quality products at a competitive price,” said Governor Pat McCrory. “North Carolina has always valued people and companies that make things. Manufacturing is part of our culture and
crucial to the future of our economy.”
After speaking, Governor McCrory presented a proclamation to Godwin Manufacturing. The proclamation stated that North Carolina is ranked first in the Southeastern states for
manufacturing jobs, and is home to 10,360 manufacturing establishments, which employ more than 442,000 workers.