Mack Trucks announced Friday it is investing $14.5 million to expand its Roanoke Valley Operations (RVO) manufacturing facility in Virginia to prepare the plant for higher demand for the Mack MD Series and Mack MD Electric vehicles.
“Mack is committed to making the industrial and product investments we need to be a North American market leader,” says Stephen Roy, global president of Mack Trucks. “The expansion of the RVO plant will help us grow in a strategic market segment and support our sustainability goals.”
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced the $14.5 million investment during an event with state and local officials at RVO. Gov. Youngkin approved a $255,000 grant from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund for the project. The project will result in 51 jobs. Roanoke County offered a package of incentives totaling $842,420.
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“Mack Trucks’ expansion further strengthens Virginia’s manufacturing industry ecosystem, which is a core focus of the Commonwealth’s economic development strategy,” says Gov. Youngkin. “We are proud that Mack Trucks’ initial investment in a new Roanoke County operation four years ago has yielded a second major investment. This is truly another voice of confidence in Virginia by a global industry leader.”
Mack’s investment will go toward equipment, tooling and a 72,000 sq.-ft., building expansion, making the facility 352,000 sq.-ft.. Construction will begin April 2024, and Mack says the expansion project is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2025. The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with Roanoke County Economic Development and the Roanoke Regional Partnership to secure the project.
The Virginia Jobs Investment Program will support employee training activities, and Mack is eligible to receive state benefits from the Major Business Facility Job Tax Credit for new full-time jobs created as a result of the project.
All Mack medium-duty models are produced at RVO. Mack launched the diesel-powered Mack MD Series in 2020 and launched the Mack MD Electric in March 2023. Adding the new model to the product lineup increased the need for more space at the facility, the company says.
“Customer demand for the Mack MD and MD Electric continues to grow beyond our expectations,” Roy says. “This investment and expansion will well-position Mack Trucks for the future.”
The diesel-powered Mack MD and MD Electric are available in Class 6 and Class 7 ratings. The Class 6 model has a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of 25,995 lb., and the Class 7 model has a GVWR of 33,000 lb. Both models are exempt from the 12 percent Federal Excise Tax (FET).
Developed specifically for medium-duty applications, the Mack MD and MD Electric are built with the same focus on reliability, durability and productivity customers have come to expect from a Class 8 Mack truck, the company says. The MD and MD Electric will meet the needs of trucking applications requiring dry van/refrigerated, stake/flatbed and dump vocations. The MD6 model does not require a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) to operate for non-hazardous payloads, Mack adds.
