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~New Assembly Center for Westport WiNG™ Power System Bi-Fuel
Natural Gas Systems for Ford Super Duty Pickup Trucks~
June 26, 2012
LOUISVILLE, KY – Westport Innovations Inc.
(TSX:WPT/NASDAQ:WPRT), the global leader in natural gas engines,
today announced the official grand opening of the Westport
Kentucky Integration Center (WKIC). Home to the new Westport™
WiNG Power System assembly center, this new facility is capable
of installing up to 20,000 systems per year.
“Louisville was a natural choice for the location of our newest
Westport facility,” said Douglas Mann, Director of
Manufacturing, Westport LD. “Westport has had a warm welcome
from the state and the community, and we’re very pleased to be
supporting economic growth and establishing new jobs and
technologies in the region.”
As a Ford Qualified Vehicle Modifier (QVM), Westport LD has
developed an advanced, fully integrated, bi-fuel system that
meets or exceeds original equipment manufacturing (OEM)
standards. The WiNG Power System is designed, built, installed
and delivered Key-Ready™ to customers through Westport LD
authorized Ford dealers/distributors. The Ford vehicle warranty
remains intact and the additional components are warranted by
Westport LD to the same levels.
The Westport Kentucky Integration Center has an ideal location
across the street from the Ford Motor Company Kentucky Truck
Plant. The WiNG Power System powered Ford trucks are a
ship-through OEM product: the trucks are taken directly from the
Ford Plant to WKIC where the natural gas fuel system is
installed. The trucks then head back to Ford and are delivered
using the Ford transportation system Key-Ready™ to Ford
dealerships.
“Westport is a global leader in fuel technologies, and we’re
proud to have a company of its caliber here in the
Commonwealth,” said Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear. “The
automotive industry is thriving here in the Bluegrass, and the
addition of Westport only strengthens that ever-growing
industry.”
Westport has been approved for tax incentives of up to $750,000
through the Kentucky Business Investment program. The
performance-based incentive allows a company to keep a portion
of its investment over the term of the agreement through
corporate income tax credits and wage assessments.
“It is important that our companies are flexible and innovative
in order to be competitive on a global level, and Westport LD
has done just that with working with Ford to fit their vehicles
with their natural gas fuel systems,” said Ted Smith, director
of the city’s Department of Economic Growth and Innovation.
“Congratulations on your jobs and investment in Louisville, and
we look forward to working together in the future.”
To establish the Center, Westport has invested significantly in
both infrastructure, through renovating a previously vacant
building, and product training and skill development for its 40
new employees. Westport LD also employs another 60 people in its
Plymouth, Michigan technical center as part of its global
operations.
About Westport Innovations Inc.
Westport is the leading global supplier of proprietary solutions
that allow engines to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and
operate on clean-burning fuels such as compressed natural gas
(CNG), liquefied natural gas (LNG), renewable natural gas (RNG
or landfill gas), liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and hydrogen.
Westport™ high-pressure direct injection (HPDI) technology is an
advanced LNG fueling system for heavy-duty vehicles such as
highway trucks and off-road applications such as mining and
rail. Westport’s joint venture with Cummins Inc., Cummins
Westport Inc., designs, engineers and markets spark-ignited
natural gas engines for North American transportation
applications such as trucks and buses. The Westport LD division
is a global leader in CNG/LPG engines and components for
passenger cars, light-duty trucks and industrial applications
such as forklifts. To learn more about Westport, visit
www.westport.com, subscribe to our RSS feed, or follow us on
Twitter @WestportDotCom.
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