Western Star Trucks, Redford, Michigan, celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2007, and marked the occasion at the Great American Trucking Show (GATS) in Dallas, August 23-25.
As part of the event, Western Star displayed two trucks at the show, the 4900 EX with 82-inch Ultra High Stratosphere sleeper and Detroit Diesel Series 60 engine with custom True Fire airbrushing from Killer Paint, and the 4900 SA oil field service bed truck with butterfly hood and Detroit Diesel Series 60 engine. Tracing its roots back to 1967, Western Star Trucks has a rich history producing rugged logging and mining vehicles that work in tough environments around the world. “For the last 40 years, Western Star has built trucks with a level of craftsmanship and customization that is unique in the industry,” said Ann Demitruk, director of marketing for Western Star Trucks. “Our premium on-highway and vocational trucks are custom-built for discerning drivers.” Western Star began with engineering and operations located in Cleveland, Ohio, and production in Canada. In the following years, the company was headquartered in Kelowna, British Columbia. After it was acquired by Freightliner LLC in 2001, the headquarters relocated first to Cleveland, its original point of origin, and later to Redford, Michigan. The Portland, Oregon, manufacturing plant is dedicated to continuing the brand's heritage of building premium, custom-built trucks.
