Speaker bringing transport display

Vehicle to be viewed in University Center parking lot

 

Deepak “Dee” T. Kapur, Truck Group president for Navistar Inc., will compliment his Distinguished Speaker presentation by displaying a piece of his company’s work, a Navistar International MaxxPro mine-resistant ambush protected (MRAP) vehicle, at Trine University from 2-8 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25.

The personnel carrier will be in the University Center parking lot for public viewing. Kapur will make the final presentation this semester, “U.S. Global Competitiveness,” in the center’s Fabiani Theatre at 7 p.m.

Navistar’s Truck Group is the nation’s largest combined commercial truck, school bus and mid-range diesel engine manufacturer. Kapur reports to Navistar’s chairman and chief executive officer and serves on the company’s Executive Council, which is responsible for management’s strategic direction.

Under his leadership, the Navistar truck business, including the International truck product line, brand, global presence, and profitability have been revitalized. The Truck Group has moved into new markets and drawn attention to the International brand, especially the Navistar defense vehicles like the MRAP and other military variants. Navistar was the first truck maker to introduce military vehicles based on a commercial platform.

Within traditional markets, the launch of the ProStar is re-establishing International’s reputation, and the imminent release of the LoneStar and the state-of-the-art Maxxforce 11 and 13L big-bore engines will reinforce this trend, Kapur believes.

With Kapur as a catalyst on the global front, Navistar is completing a line of trucks for the Indian sub-continent, developed in a joint venture with India’s Mahindra & Mahindra, a leading automotive manufacturer and business house. Kapur also worked with Caterpillar Inc. to design, develop, and distribute trucks in global markets.

Kapur joined Navistar in 2003 from Ford Motor Company, where he worked for more than 25 years in a variety of engineering, product planning, quality and global management positions. He earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, and Stanford University, and a master’s degree in industrial administration from Carnegie Mellon University. He also studied in the Stanford University Engineering Executive Program.

He is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers and the American Society of Quality, and serves on the Board of the National Association of Manufacturers. Kapur is a co-owner of three patents relating to switch and seat designs. He lives with his wife and four children in Naperville, Ill.

The MaxxPro MRAP to be displayed at Trine has been subjected to a direct mine hit and driven away from the impact site. In addition to mine blasts, it is designed to resist arms fire, improvised explosive devices, and nuclear, biological and chemical attacks.

The presentation and display are free and open to the public.