Zero-emission truck manufacturer Nikola names first president

The Nikola Motor Company announced that Mark Russell has joined its executive management team as president. According to Nikola’s press release, Russell will manage the company’s production of new zero-emission vehicles.

Nikola, based in Phoenix, designs electric-hydrogen hybrid trucks. Its goal as a company is to transform the carrier industry with zero-emission solutions.

“I’m thrilled to be joining the Nikola team at this critical time and look forward to assisting its growth in production and beyond,” said Russell.

Russell has more than 20 years experience in the manufacturing industry. He served as president and chief executive officer of Ohio-based metal fabricator Worthington Industries (NYSE: WOR) from 2012 to 2018.

“We needed the best. We needed a seasoned manufacturing executive to join the Nikola team,” said Trevor Milton, founder and chief executive officer at Nikola. “Mark’s background and experience match well with the challenge to ramp up production of the extraordinary vehicles we will unveil at Nikola World on April 16 and 17.”

Nikola will showcase its new zero-emission vehicle concepts at its exposition event, “Nikola World,” in Scottsdale, Arizona.

According to the release, Nikola will open a zero-emission vehicle manufacturing facility in Coolidge, Arizona in 2022. Nikola plans to produce 35,000 trucks annually.