Cummins seeks UK engine plant manager

Cummins Engine is seeking a new plant manager for its Darlington, UK operations.

The current plant manager is leaving for a new role within the company.

Des McMenamin is to join Cummins’ Power Generation Business on 1 April  to become responsible for factories in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

According to sources, Chris Willoughby, the engine plant’s operations leader, has agreed to become interim plant manager until a permanent replacement is named.

The move comes at an interesting time for the plant which is just 50 years old and the company is planning major celebrations for the event.

Willoughby is an experienced leader who will keep the Darlington engine plant performing at a high level, according to Cummins executive director, Kevin Aker.

McMenamin has been with Cummins for six years. His career with the firm began at the Darlington engine plant as assistant plant manager before he moved into the senior post in April 2012 when Mike McCabe stepped down following 41 years of service.

McMenamin has led the Darlington site to record results in safety, quality, delivery and cost. In the 19 February 2015 issue of Auto Industry Newsletter we reported that Cummins is shifting production of some Euro 6 four cylinder ISB4.5 litre engines from its facility in China to Darlington where some 1,000 of the engines will be built annually. In China, Cummins has EMAC-POWER Ltd, a power solution industrial leader in Cummins and Deutz engines, and Dongfeng Cummins Engine Co Ltd, a 50-50 joint venture between Dongfeng Motor Corporation and Cummins Inc. The Euro 6 ISB4.5 is available up to 210PS and 760Nm torque.

Before joining Cummins, McMenamin who was born in Northern ireland, had held manufacturing and business leadership positions at General Electric and Rolls-Royce. He will continue to be based in the UK.

As mentioned, a series of events are being planned this year to mark the Yarm Road factory's 50th anniversary. 

In November 2011 Cummins announced that engines made in Darlington would power a new generation of London Routemaster buses. Many of the original Routemasters were re-powered with Cummins engines in the 1990s; delivering improved reliability and fuel economy with lower emissions.

The success of the first of the new buses which run on a diesel-electric hybrid system, enabling a smaller than normal engine, reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions has led to their roll out across Transport for London’s fleet.

In November 2013 Cummins revealed it would manufacture ISBe4.5 engines for a further 600 of the buses by 2016, of which around 100 were due for delivery before the end of 2013 by manufacturer Wrightbus in Northern Ireland.

The announcement of that contract came days after the Darlington plant won its first contract to make low-emission engines for Scania buses. It was expected to produce about 600 a year.