ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. – An American truck manufacturer is making a sizable investment in Roanoke County.
Mack Trucks opened its new facility in Glenvar on Thursday with Governor Ralph Northam in attendance. Mack Trucks president Martin Weissburg said the facility will create up to 250 jobs.
“It’s not a small investment on our part. This is a serious business, and this is a serious business facility,” said Mack Trucks President Martin Weissburg. “Without trucks, America stops, and this facility will keep America moving.”
The new facility, which Mack officially named “Roanoke Valley Operations,” or “RVO” for short, cost $13 million to renovate. RVO will be where Mack builds its new line of medium-duty trucks, the Mack MD Series, which Weissburg plans to roll out this summer.
“It’s not a small investment on our part. This is a serious business and this is a serious business facility,” Weissburg said. “We’re going to make very high-quality Mack trucks, we’re going to hire the best people to help us do so, and we’re going to make sure our customers are absolutely delighted with these Mack medium-duty trucks.”
“250 new jobs and $13 million in investment will really be a shot in the arm for the economy here in Roanoke County,” said Gov. Ralph Northam.
The new facility, located in the former LSC Communications building, is between two Mack plants — the headquarters in Greensboro, North Carolina, and a powertrain facility in Hagerstown, Maryland.
However, Mack’s parent company, Volvo Trucks, operates its North American headquarters in Dublin, which is 40 miles southwest of the new Mack facility.
“We know where we’re coming, and we’re very comfortable with that,” Weissburg said.
Northam said Mack’s investment into southwest Virginia shows how attractive this area of the commonwealth can be for businesses.
“The reason why companies want to come to places like Roanoke County is our workforce. We have one of the most talented workforces,” Northam said. “250 new jobs and $13 million in investment will really be a shot in the arm for the economy here in Roanoke County.”
According to Weissburg, the company will start taking pre-orders for the new trucks on Thursday.
