In order to improve profitability and reduce costs, Volvo Construction Equipment will discontinue development and production of its current product line of Volvo-branded backhoe loaders and motor graders. In future, these products will instead be manufactured by Volvo CE?s Chinese company SDLG.
The current product lines of technologically advanced and high-spec Volvo-branded backhoe loaders and motor graders have addressed a relatively small premium segment of the market. SDLG-branded backhoe loaders and motor graders will better serve customer demands in the large and growing value segment of the market. Currently, motor graders are built at Volvo CE?s production sites in Shippensburg, US, and Pederneiras, Brazil, while backhoe loaders are manufactured in Pederneiras, Brazil, and Wroclaw, Poland. Ceasing European production of backhoe loaders will result in the closure of Volvo CE?s operations in Wroclaw.