Tiger Truck assembles vehicles designed by ChangAn Automobile Group, China’s third-largest vehicle manufacturer. The Poteau plant will have the capacity to manufacture 7,500 vehicles per year.
Tiger Trucks are known for their small stature but tremendous power. For instance, Champ 4500 is the size of a normal half-ton pickup, but carries a load of a ton and a half.
The trucks are most often used in places with rugged terrain and narrow roads, primarily in Mexico and South America. In the United States and Canada, the trucks are legal only as off-road vehicles. They’re most commonly used by state and federal governments, military, golf courses, farms, nurseries, and parks.
The plant will be home to the first e-coat paint plant in the nation. Often regarded as the best in the world, the world-class paint finish is three times more durable and rust resistant than most vehicles' finishes.
“In addition to providing quality jobs to Poteau, we’re also the first company to deliver true ‘Made in U.S.A.’ vehicles with a Chinese heritage,” said Michael S. Ward, founder and CEO of Tiger Truck. “This is not only good for Poteau and Oklahoma, it’s good for the United States.”
Poteau Mayor Jeff Shockley said the Tiger Truck expansion is what the community was looking for when it began making a concerted effort to focus on economic development.
“Tiger bringing jobs from China to Oklahoma is definitely an added bonus,” he said. “It’s something you don’t see every day, and we couldn’t be happier to be part of this switch. Our community has worked hard in recent years to attract businesses like Tiger Truck.”
Natalie Shirley, secretary of Commerce for the state of Oklahoma, said the ability to attract a company like Tiger Truck is just the beginning for Oklahoma.
“As the lead economic development entity for the state, Commerce is committed to creating more quality jobs,” she said. “A company such as Tiger Truck will not only create those jobs, but also attract supporting industry that will serve as an economic stimulus for the whole region.”
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