(PORTLAND, Ore.) -- Daimler Trucks North America announced on Thursday that it plans to hire nearly 700 new employees at two facilities in Gaston County. Company officials confirmed that the hiring plans are in addition to the more than 1,300 positions filled in the company's truck and parts facilities during the first half of 2011.

The jobs will come at the company's truck manufacturing plant in Mt. Holly and at its parts manufacturing plant in Gastonia.  All told over 1,230 positions are being added when expansions at a Saltillo, Mexico plant are taken into account.

"Our manufacturing network is highly scalable and together with our component suppliers, we are fully prepared to handle current and projected order levels," said Roger Nielsen, chief operating officer, DTNA. "We have the capacity and the leverage to meet customer delivery schedules despite the industry supply challenges associated with economic recovery and recent global events."

 The move comes as DTNA seeks to accommodate rising customer demand for the company's Freightliner and Western Star trucks.