Truck maker Navistar announces new name

Sept. 26 — Longtime Springfield employer Navistar changes its name.

Navistar Inc. announced plans to rebrand and change its name to International Motors LLC – or simply “International” – effective October 1.

The company also launched a new logo.

In a statement, the company said the rebranding was “driven by a shift in strategy to transform the company into a solutions provider, and the role the international brand can play in a streamlined customer and user experience “.

“After more than 120 years, we are choosing to return to our roots as an international,” said Tobias Glitterstam, chief strategy and transformation officer, in a statement. “International embodies determination, partnership and collaboration to meet every challenge with a solution.”

The term “international” has a history in Springfield. Just like the company itself.

The lineage of Navistar and its predecessors dates back to the early 1900s, when a merger created what was then called International Harvester Co. But the history goes back even further.

The McCormicker Harvester Co., founded by inventor Cyrus McCormick, was formed in 1847. The other part of the merger, the Deering Harvester Co., was founded by William Deering in 1874. Both companies focused on era on agricultural machinery.

The company was acquired by Traton Group, a subsidiary of Volkswagen Group, in July 2021. Navistar reported in the second quarter of this year that its revenue fell 21% year-over-year from $3.092 billion. dollars to $2.437 billion. Navistar’s adjusted operating profit fell to $65.2 million in the second quarter from $186.8 million a year earlier.

Navistar is a major employer in Clark County, with more than 1,800 workers at its Springfield manufacturing plant and thousands of retirees living in the area.

Questions were sent to a company spokesperson.