Volvo Ramps Up Production at New Backhoe Facility in Mexico

Volvo is tweaking its supply chain to better serve and support the North American marketplace. After a successful small scale pilot, production of Volvo’s BL60 and BL70 backhoe loaders has been substantially increased at Volvo Construction Equipment’s new manufacturing facility in Tultitlan, Mexico. These North American markets were previously supplied from Volvo’s factory in Wroclaw, Poland, but the move to Mexico not only significantly reduces delivery lead times, it also allows the requirements of these markets to be more efficiently met.  

Following an initial start-up phase, production of the BL60 and BL70 center-mounted backhoe loaders at Volvo Construction Equipment’s modern plant in Mexico is now in full operation.  The facility, located 25 miles north of Mexico City and shared with sister company Volvo Bus, is equipped to meet the growing demand in the North American and Latin American markets for backhoe loaders. In addition to reduced delivery times and shipping costs, the move of production to Mexico also offers other benefits, such as a more streamlined supply chain, close proximity to major shipping routes and reduced production costs.

The Volvo center-mount backhoe loaders are fitted with Volvo’s D5D Tier 3 fuel-efficient, high-performance engines with high torque and powerful breakout capabilities. The Volvo BL70 (90 hp) has a dig depth of 14 ft, 9 in., an operating weight of 17,248 lbs, a bucket capacity of 1.3 cu yd, a loader lift capacity of 6,953 lbs and a breakout force of 12,445 lbs.  The Volvo BL60 (83 hp) has a dig depth of 14 ft, 5 in., an operating weight of 16,178 lbs, a bucket capacity of 1 cu yd, a loader lift capacity of 5,460 lbs and a breakout force of 11,330 lbs. Both models can be equipped with a variety of attachments for specific job applications and have standard Volvo hydrostatic steering and load-sensing hydraulic systems.