President Joe Biden came to visit the Mack Trucks Lehigh Valley Operations (LVO) facility in Macungie, Pennsylvania on Wednesday. LVO is where all Mack heavy-duty models for North America and export are assembled.

Mack recently completed an $84 million investment in plant improvements at LVO, which included the insourcing of chassis assembly, the addition of new equipment and a 300,000 square-foot expansion of the facility. The plant upgrades were completed in 2020. LVO currently employs more than 2,500 people and Mack says it plans to hire up to 400 more this year. 

During Wednesday’s visit, Biden met with employees, learned about Mack’s assembly process, its supply chain and the OEM’s work on battery-electric vehicles. Biden was able to see the Mack LR Electric battery-electric refuse vehicle, Mack’s fully electric Class 8 truck, firsthand.

Mack representatives says that they emphasized to Biden the importance of robust funding investments in infrastructure for zero-emissions vehicles (ZEV) and for all types of transportation. 

“We need these types of investments to support American manufacturing’s competitiveness in the global economy and to prepare for innovative technologies like the Mack LR Electric,” said Martin Weissburg, president of Mack Trucks.

Biden gave a 30-minute speech about American manufacturing and jobs. “It’s a straightforward solution: support and grow more American-based companies,” the president said. “I can sum it up all in two words: Buy American.”