Volvo Trucks North America announced it will make several plant upgrades and open a new Customer Experience Center as part of a $38.1 million investment in the New River Valley (NRV) truck assembly plant in Dublin, Va., where all Volvo truck models for North America are assembled.
“This unique Customer Experience Center will showcase our innovation leadership, our brand, and our products in a dynamic and engaging way,” said Göran Nyberg, president of Volvo Trucks North America. “Together with the NRV plant and our Customer Experience Test Track, the new Center will give customers – and prospective customers – an unforgettable Volvo Trucks brand experience.”
The custom-designed, one-story circular building will feature a product showroom spotlighting the complete lineup of Volvo heavy duty truck, engine and transmission models. It will house four training rooms, two of which will be multipurpose and serve as pilot review rooms. A theater-in-the-round at the center of the building will seat 200 people, and an observation area will allow customers to watch trucks in action on the 1.1-mile Customer Experience Track that opened at NRV in 2014. The paved course’s banked corners enable highway speeds, while an off-highway area features various surfaces and grades simulating the most demanding work environments.
In addition to the Customer Experience Center, the new investment will also fund several plant upgrades to further improve the safety, quality and efficiency of NRV’s manufacturing processes.
“This investment is another recognition of the important role our employees and the NRV community play in delivering not only industry-leading products, but an industry-leading brand experience for Volvo Trucks customers,” said Franky Marchand, vice president and general manager of the plant.
