Industry Veteran James Hebe to Head N. American Sales for Navistar

Trucking industry veteran James Hebe has rejoined Navistar International Corp.’s truck group as senior vice president of North American sales, the company said Monday.

Hebe, 59, first joined Navistar in 1971 in Boston as a management trainee, and later became a heavy-duty truck salesman for International trucks.

He rejoins Navistar from his latest role as president and dealer principal of Co-Van/Cascadia International, LLC.

Hebe will have responsibility for North American sales, dealer operations and central sales administration, Navistar said.

“The integration of these three functions is critical to achieve alignment in communication, planning and execution of both our short and long-term strategies,” said David Johanneson, group vice president, global sales and marketing and distribution for Navistar’s truck group.

Hebe was chairman and chief executive officer of Freightliner Trucks for nine years until 2002, after which he became head of Seagrave Fire Apparatus, in Clintonville, Wis. He returned to the trucking industry in 2006 when he became dealer principal of C-Van/Cascadia.

A member of both the Automotive Hall of Fame and the Automotive News Hall of Fame, Hebe will relocate to Warrenville, Ill., from Portland, Ore., Navistar said.

Navistar last week restructured its corporate units, but will keep International as a truck brand.