In response to sustained demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) as a result of COVID-19, Mack Trucks donated about 500 pieces of PPE that it manufactured at its Lehigh Valley Operations (LVO) plant in Macungie, Pennsylvania.
“The Mack team is committed to doing what we can to help the communities in which we live and work, and I’m very proud of our LVO employees for stepping up to produce PPE during the coronavirus pandemic,” said Rickard Lundberg, vice president and general manager at LVO. “For nearly 120 years, Mack has risen to the challenge of fulfilling vital needs, most recently through the production of PPE.”
Mack engineers and leadership reviewed several different design possibilities before deciding upon the production of face shield headbands utilizing its 3D printer, as well as hand-crafted assembly at LVO, where all Mack Class 8 vehicles for North America and export are built. Mack first produced PPE for employees and has since donated about 500 pieces to various organizations, including Lehigh Valley Health Network, Lehigh Center, Kirkland Village, Westminister Village, and The Easton Home. Mack will donate more as the PPE pieces are produced, based on demand in the community.
Mack also recently began producing 3D-printed ear guards to offer additional comfort to employees wearing face masks.
Earlier this spring, Mack donated other PPE, including masks, gloves, and safety goggles, to St. Luke’s University Health Network, South Mountain Memory Care, Success Rehabilitation, and Maxim Healthcare Services.
PPE production is just one way that Mack is helping the community. Mack recently donated $10,000 to the Second Harvest Food Bank of the Lehigh Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania to help those with food insecurity.
Second Harvest Food Bank of the Lehigh Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania serves 200 agencies in Carbon, Lehigh, Monroe, Northampton, Pike, and Wayne counties. Its mission is to “obtain food and distribute it to people in need through area non-profits, and to provide resources for education and advocacy to end hunger.” The organization was started in 1982. Second Harvest delivered 9.4 million pounds of food during fiscal year 2018-2019.
“The Lehigh Valley community is very important to Mack Trucks,” Lundberg said. “We are doing what we can to support it in meaningful ways so that those most in need are supported.”
