Mack Trucks, Inc. is an American truck manufacturing company and a former manufacturer of buses and trolley buses. Founded in 1900 as the Mack Brothers Company, it manufactured its first truck in 1905 and adopted its present name in 1922. Since 2000, Mack Trucks has been a subsidiary of Volvo, which purchased Mack and its former parent company Renault Véhicules Industriels.
Founded in Brooklyn in 1900, the company moved its headquarters to Allentown, Pennsylvania, five years later, in 1905, remaining in the town for over a century, moving again in 2009.
Mack vehicles are produced in Lower Macungie, Pennsylvania, and Salem, Virginia. Its powertrain products are produced in its Hagerstown, Maryland, plant. Mack also maintains additional assembly plants in facilities in Pennsylvania, Australia, and Venezuela. The company also once maintained plants in Winnsboro, South Carolina, Hayward, California, and Oakville, Ontario, which are now closed.
Operations
The company's manufacturing facilities are located at their Lehigh Valley Operations facility and division, formally known as the Macungie Assembly Operations Plant, in Macungie, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley region of the state. Mack Trucks is the fourth-largest employer in the Lehigh Valley region as of 2024."Lehigh Valley's Largest Private-Sector Employers", Lehigh Valley Economic Development
The Mack headquarters, known as the Mack Trucks' World Headquarters is located in Greensboro, North Carolina, where it has resided since 2009.
Mack Trucks is one of the top producers in the vocational and on-road vehicle market, class 8 through class 13. Mack trucks have been sold in 45 countries. Located near its former Allentown corporate headquarters in Macungie, Pennsylvania, the company's manufacturing plant produces all Mack chassis and bodies.
Mack transmissions, TC-15 transfer cases, and rear engine power take-offs are designed and manufactured in Hagerstown, Maryland, which was the original factory location. This plant also produces and designs all Mack engines, including the Mack Defense engines used in tanks and other military applications.
Parts for Mack's right-hand-drive vehicles are produced in Brisbane, Australia for worldwide distribution. Assembly for South America is performed in Macungie alongside the North American trucks. Mack no longer operates Mack de Venezuela C.A., in Caracas, Venezuela. The former Venezuela operation is a complete knock down (CKD) facility. Components were shipped from the United States to Caracas for final assembly.
In addition to its Macungie manufacturing facility, Mack also has a remanufacturing center in Middletown, Pennsylvania.
2008 restructuring plan On August 14, 2008, Mack Trucks announced a major restructuring plan that included:"Mack Plans Restructuring to Increase Competitiveness, Secure Long-Term Leadership Position" . Mack Trucks. August 14, 2008. Retrieved: 2008-08-15 Relocation of Mack's head office, product development, most support functions, and purchasing functions to Greensboro, North Carolina, in 2009. Mack's parent, Volvo Trucks, already has its North American base in Greensboro. Assembly of all produced Mack highway vehicles in Macungie, Pennsylvania, starting 2008 Mack's testing facility in Allentown, Pennsylvania being converted into a "customer demonstration and reception center" in 2010 Restructuring the parts distribution network by 2010 (later delayed to first quarter 2011)
History Corporation timeline This is a timeline of Mack Trucks history.Mack History . Mack Trucks.
1893: John Mack and his brother Augustus F. ("Gus") Mack buy Fallesen & Berry 1894: A third Mack brother, William C. Mack joins his brothers in the company's operations. The Macks explore working with steam powered and electric motor cars 1900: The Macks open their first bus manufacturing plant. Ordered by a sightseeing company, the first "Mack bus" is delivered 1902: The Mack Brothers Company is established in Brooklyn 1904: Mack Brothers introduces the brand name "Manhattan" on its products 1905: Allentown is selected as the home of main manufacturing operations. A fourth Mack brother, Joseph Mack, becomes a stockholder. Mack also begins making rail cars and locomotives. 1910: The "Manhattan" brand trucks are rebranded as Mack trucks, and a fifth Mack brother Charles Mack joins the company. 1911: Headed by C.P. Coleman, The Saurer Motor Truck Company acquires rights to manufacture and sell heavy trucks under the Saurer brand name at its plant in Plainfield, New Jersey. On September 23, 1911, the Saurer Motor Truck Company merges with the Mack Brothers Motor Car Company of Allentown headed by J. M. Mack, forming the International Motor Truck Company (IMTC). IMTC continues to make and sell trucks using the Saurer name until 1918. In 1911, IMTC is capitalized at $2.6 million total ($1.6m or 61.5% for Saurer and $1.0m for Mack Brothers)."Motor Truck Merger". New York Times. September 23, 1911. p.15. Retrieved: 2008-06-16 1912: Brothers John and Joseph Mack leave the company. Mack Truck acquires Hewitt Truck retaining Edward Ringwood Hewitt as consultant. 1916: Mack builds an armored truck (Mack AB Armored Truck) for the 1st Armored Motor Truck Battery of the New York State National Guard 1919: The United States Army conducts a transcontinental project using Mack Trucks to study the need for and feasibility of a new interstate highway system. 1922: The company name is changed to Mack Trucks, Inc. The bulldog is established as the company's corporate symbol. 1924: John Mack dies in a car crash in Weatherly, Pennsylvania. 1932: While recuperating from an operation, Mack's chief engineer Alfred Fellows Masury carves Mack's first bulldog hood ornament. Masury applies for and receives a U.S. patent for his design; the bulldog hood ornament adorns Mack trucks ever since. 1933: Mack Trucks (as the company is more widely becoming known) are used in building of many ambitious construction projects for the Work Projects Administration including the Hoover Dam. 1941: Fire Apparatus manufacturing is moved from Allentown, Pennsylvania, to Long Island City, in Queens, New York. 1951: Fire Apparatus manufacturing is moved from Long Island City back to Allentown 1956: Mack Trucks, Inc. buys Brockway Motor Company. (Brockway later ceases operations in 1977). 1966: Mack begins production at its new assembly plant in Oakville, Ontario, Canada. The facility is later closed in 1993. 1967: Mack Trucks becomes a part of the Signal Oil and Gas Company in a one-for-one exchange for cumulative convertible preferred stock.Macks Trucks in merger Truck & Bus Transportation August 1967 page 96 Later that year Signal changes its name to The Signal Companies. 1970: Mack moves into its new Allentown world headquarters. 1979: Renault buys a 10% shareholdingRenault buys a slice of the Mack action Truck & Bus Transportation July 1979 page 51 1982: Renault increases its shareholding to 20%, Signal reduces its stake to 10%. 1983: Mack Trucks conducts an IPO, issuing 15.7 million shares of common stock. Renault increases its holdings to 40% and Signal reduces its stake to 10.3% ownership. 1987: Renault reorganizes; Renault's Mack shares are transferred to Renault Véhicules Industriels. 1987: Mack Trucks moves class 8 operations to Winnsboro, South Carolina 1990: Mack Trucks becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of Renault Véhicules Industriels when the remaining publicly traded shares are acquired at $6.25 per share. 2001: Together with Renault Véhicules Industriels, Mack becomes part of Volvo Trucks; the parent company Renault receives a 20% stake in the combined company. (In 2002 Renault Véhicules Industriels changes its name to Renault Trucks). 2002: The plant in Winnsboro, South Carolina closes 2006: Mack has a record-sales year. 2008: Mack announces relocation of corporate headquarters to Greensboro, North Carolina. 2018: Mack has released the new Mack Anthem. 2021: US President Joe Biden visited the Mack Trucks plant in Pennsylvania in July 2021, where he was shown Mack's fully electric Class 8 truck, the Mack LR Electric. Mack had recently completed an upgrade of the facility with $84 million in funding."President Biden Visits Mack Trucks Plant In Pennsylvania" ; Fleet Equipment Mag 2021: In July, Mack Trucks said it would hire 400 more employees at its facility in Lower Macungie, adding to a 2,500 overall workforce."Mack Trucks to hire 400 at Lower Macungie facility" ; WFMZ 2021: In August 2021, it was reported that Mack had to suspend "production periodically" in July 2021 due to chip shortages."Chip Shortages Driving Lead Times Exceeding 5 Months for Commercial Transportation Industry" ; eestasia.com
Market, model and products timeline
This is a timeline of Mack Trucks history. Most of the information is taken from the Mack History page at MackTrucks.com, unless otherwise noted. Photos of most models 1906–1978 available at.
1910: Mack delivers the first motorized hook and ladder firetruck used by the city of Morristown, New Jersey. 1914: The Mack ABs are introduced 1916: The Mack ACs are introduced. Ultimately, over 40,000 of these models are sold. World War I: Mack delivers over 6,000 trucks to both the United States and British military. A legend surfaces that British soldiers would call for Mack Bulldogs to be sent when facing adversity. 1918: Mack becomes the first manufacturer to apply air cleaners and oil filters to their trucks. 1920: Mack Trucks are the first with power brakes on their trucks. 1922: Mack introduces first truck with a drive shaft instead of a chain on the Model AB 1922: International Motors Company develops gasoline-driven passenger railcar for the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. A standard passenger railcar on top of a standard motor truck chassis, seating between 36 and 50 passengers, at a cost of $16,500. The car operates in a ten-mile (16 km) stretch between New Haven, and Derby, Connecticut."Railroads Cut Off Short Branch Lines". New York Times. January 15, 1922. p.102 1927: Mack's BJ and BB models built. 1932: The Bulldog starts to show up on the hoods of Mack trucks. 1934: Production of electric "trolley coaches" began, continuing only until 1943. A total of 290 trolley buses were built, with Portland, Oregon being by far the biggest customer (with 141 total). 1935 Mack sold 1515 trucks. 1936 Mack sold 4226 trucks. 1936: The Mack E series introduced. Mack Jr trucks introduced. 1938: Mack trucks is the first company to produce its own heavy-duty diesel engines. 1938 Mack sold 4406 trucks. 1939 Mack sold 6670 trucks. World War II: Mack trucks were used by the military in various capacities, and the company built many heavy-duty trucks to help the allied forces. From 1941 to 1945, the combined armed forces of the United States, Great Britain, France, and Canada took delivery of 35,096 vehicles. The combat "N Series" (NB, NJU, NM, NO, NR, etc.) accounted for 26,965 of the total. Commercial type vehicles including: trucks, off-highway, fire-trucks, trailers, and buses, accounted for the rest. A total of 2,053 NO models alone were produced from 1940 to 1945. The -ton 6x6 NO was the most important specifically military model, and could be used as a transport or tractor for the 155 mm Long Tom field gun. Mack also built over 2600 power trains for tanks. The Allentown bus plant (5C) built Vultee PBY Catalina flying boats as well as components for the BT-13 Valiant Trainer and B-24 Liberator Bombers. More than 700 NJU (5-to-6 ton 4x4) models were in the hands of the U.S. Army by 1942. In 1939 & 1940 the French and British received several hundred NR4 and EXBU models. Mack Trucks ranked 63rd among United States corporations in the value of World War II military production contracts.Peck, Merton J. & Scherer, Frederic M. The Weapons Acquisition Process: An Economic Analysis (1962) Harvard Business School p.619