Mack Trucks announced a plan to invest some $70 million over three years in its Lehigh Valley truck assembly operations in Pennsylvania.
Plant enhancements will include a 75,000 square-foot expansion to improve material handling and flow; new manufacturing IT systems; equipment and tooling; and a new building for conducting quality audits on completed vehicles.
“For more than 40 years, Mack’s Lehigh Valley Operations has built high-quality trucks that our customers can depend on,” said Dennis Slagle, president of Mack Trucks. “This investment strategy will help ensure we continue to deliver Mack’s legendary durability through a more efficient, integrated and modern manufacturing operation.”
To streamline the manufacturing process, Mack says its chassis pre-assembly work currently completed by Westport Axle in Breinigsville, PA, will be moved into the Mack plant. Westport will continue several other critical support operations for Mack.
The investment plan includes about $12 million in projects that will be completed over the next three years, but were included in the $26 million upgrade announced in 2014.
Mack’s Lehigh Valley Operations produced its first trucks in 1975. Today, the 1 million-square foot facility assembles all Mack trucks built for the North American market and export.
