Mack To Invest $70 Million In Lehigh Valley Ops

Mack Trucks said it will invest about $70 million in its Lehigh Valley, Pa., truck assembly operations over three years in order to further improve manufacturing quality and efficiency and modernize the facility.

“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.”

Plant enhancements will include a 75,000 sq. ft. expansion to improve material handling and flow, new manufacturing IT systems, new equipment and tooling and a new building for conducting quality audits on completed vehicles. To better manage and streamline the manufacturing process, chassis preassembly work currently completed by Westport Axle in Breinigsville, Pa., will be moved into the Mack plant. Westport will continue several other support operations for Mack, the company said.

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 and the 1.0 million sq. ft. facility assembles all Mack trucks built for the North American market and export.