Volvo’s New River Valley (NRV) assembly plant in Dublin, Va., will soon be the site of a new Customer Experience Track, set to open during the third quarter of 2014. The track will feature a 1.1-mile paved road course and an off-highway area, allowing the OEM to showcase its Class 8 lineup during customer tours and other events.
“Customers visit our plant nearly every day to see their trucks being built,” said Gӧran Nyberg, president of Volvo Trucks North American Sales & Marketing. “Providing a hands-on opportunity is an important extension of that experience, and we believe it will foster an even deeper appreciation of the design, manufacturing and performance of our products.”
The Customer Experience Track will feature a paved road course designed with banked corners, making highway speeds achievable. Inside the road course will be an off-highway area with a variety of surfaces and grades to simulate work environments.
A team of the OEM’s employees skilled in design, excavation and operation of heavy machinery are handling the new track’s design and construction. Using rented Volvo construction equipment, the team is tackling all aspects of the project from blueprints to bulldozing.
“Employee engagement and project ownership is very important to us, and I commend our team for the excellent work they’re doing,” said Lars Blomberg, vice president and NRV general manager. “The new track is an investment in our future, and we look forward to delivering an even greater experience for all who visit the plant and have an opportunity to get in the driver’s seat.”
