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April 4, 2005 9:00 AM, EDT

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hris Patterson will replace Rainer Schmueckle as chief executive officer of Freightliner, parent company DaimlerChrysler said in a statement Saturday.

Freightliner is the market leader in North American Class 8 truck manufacturing.

Patterson, 50, will head the North American business unit of DaimlerChrysler's commercial vehicles division. He will report to Andreas Renschler, head of DaimlerChrysler's commercial vehicles division.

DaimlerChrysler named Schmueckle, 45, chief operating officer of its Mercedes Car Group, effective April 15, the company said. In that position he will be responsible for production, procurement and information technology within the Mercedes unit.

Following a 14-year stint at Canadian Kenworth Co., Patterson became president of Freightliner of Canada Ltd. in 1992. In 1996 he was named senior vice president of sales and marketing with Freightliner in Portland, Ore.

After working as executive vice president of sales and marketing with Volvo Trucks North America from 1997 to 2001 Patterson rejoined Freightliner in 2002, where he was senior vice president of service and parts until the current appointment.