Jonathan Randall, Senior Vice President of Sales for Mack Trucks North America, speaking at the grand opening of the renovated Mack Trucks Customer Center.

Mack Trucks celebrated the grand opening of its remodeled customer center today, a $3 million renovation project that further signified the company’s continued commitment to the Lehigh Valley.

“We thank everybody for being here today, and we’re obviously very proud to be part of this community as we continue to grow,” said Jonathan Randall, Senior Vice President of Sales for Mack Trucks North America.

The renovation project includes facility enhancements, a reconfiguration of the floor plan, and the addition of multiple interactive displays to offer a more engaging experience for customers at the Allentown facility at 2402 Lehigh Parkway South.

“We’re pleased to celebrate the investment into our new Mack Trucks Customer Center today, and we look forward to customers from all over the world visiting this location to learn more about Mack products, services, and support,” Randall said.

Mack Trucks is one of North America’s largest producers of heavy-duty trucks, and all of its trucks for the North American market in the Lehigh Valley. About 116 trucks are produced each day, and more than 1,800 employees work at the Lower Macungie Township plant.

Last year, the company announced plans to invest more than $70 million in improvements at its Lehigh Valley plant, expected to be completed next year, to further improve manufacturing quality and efficiency and modernize the facility.

Those plans included 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, according to the company.

“We appreciate Mack Trucks’ continued investment in and dedication to the Lehigh Valley region,” said Don Cunningham, President and CEO of the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC), who participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “Having a nationally-recognized company like Mack growing and thriving here in the Lehigh Valley further illustrates why manufacturing is the region’s top economic sector.”

The front of the Mack Trucks Customer Center at 2402 Lehigh Parkway South in Allentown.

Manufacturing makes up $5.56 billion – or 15 percent – of the Lehigh Valley’s $37 billion overall gross domestic product (GDP). There are about 680 manufacturing companies in the region, employing about 32,000 workers

Renovations at the 160,000 square-foot Mack Customer Center were initiated in April 2016. The center houses a product showroom, the 360-degree Bulldog Theater, office and meeting space, and the Mack Shop.

Additionally, a test track is located around the facility for customers to test drive Mack models, Randall said.

Interactive displays throughout facility highlight the brand’s products and uptime services, and a “selfie” station allows visitors to take and share photos on social media of themselves with a Mack truck.

As part of the renovation, Mack also supported the transformation of the Mack Trucks Historical Museum within the facility, reorganizing the space to be more visitor-friendly. The Mack Trucks Historical Museum is a separate, not-for-profit corporation known around the world as the premier collection of Mack trucks and Mack history.

With dozens of exhibits, displays and historical truck models, the museum offers a memorable experience that explores the history of Mack Trucks, as well as the industry-leading manufacturing techniques that have kept Mack at the forefront of heavy-duty trucking.

“Mack has been around a long time, but we’ve never lost our passion or focus on the customer,” Randall said. “The Mack Customer Center spotlights our commitment to developing products and services driving the success of our customers’ businesses.”

Other speakers at the grand opening ceremony today included state Rep. Peter Schweyer, and representatives of U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent, state Sen. Pat Browne, and state Rep. Ryan Mackenzie.