I grew up around the corner from Mack's famous 5C plant, on the corner of Lehigh and S. 12th Streets. In the early 1950's, the brightly colored truck tractors would cover the lot next to the old assembly plant. All day long, a new tractor would leave for delivery somewhere, with two more piggy back on the coupling hitches. Over the years I have written a lot of posts about Mack, especially how their workers would use the Fountain Park WPA steps, walking to their jobs on S. 10th Street. Mack made all their own truck parts there, except the tires. Built Like A Mack Truck, was a result of the local craftsmanship.
In Saturday's Morning Call article about Mack investing in the Macungie plant, the vice president is quoted as saying that Mack was here to stay. By Saturday evening, that vice president was no longer with the company, according to WFMZ. I remember when the larger share of production was moved to South Carolina in 1987. Shortly before that plant closed in 2002, they handed out sunglasses to symbolize their bright future there. I remember when the World Headquarters on Mack Boulevard moved to North Carolina. I don't know about Mack's long term future in the valley, but I do know that the ties that bind have long since been broken.
Jack Mack, one of Mack Truck's founding brothers, was killed in an auto accident in 1924. He is buried in Fairview Cemetery on Lehigh Street.
reprinted from 2016
ADDENDUM APRIL 15, 2024: Volvo North America, now owner of Mack Trucks, has announced that a new plant will be built in Mexico to supplement production in Macungie and Virginia. I remember when Mack first moved south, some Allentown workers went with them to South Carolina.
Will Allentonians end up in Mexico, will Volvo be handing out sombreros? Among those who wouldn't appreciate any humor on this topic is the union local. In Volvo's explanation, they mentioned the Latin and South American markets. This past October there was a strike at the Volvo plants, which lasted over a month.
I don't believe the unions (if any) are very demanding in Mexico, and wages are a fraction of what they are here. NAFTA strikes again.
ReplyDeleteIf I were a Macungie worker, I'd be saving every dime as the inevitable is going to happen.
The only thing left of Mack in Allentown is the founders headstone shown above
Heartbreaking to hear this, Unions demands put them where they are today, moving out of Country.
ReplyDeleteI don't know the cause and effect, but it certainly could have factored into the decision(s)
DeleteA little research would show how NAFTA undercut the American worker. People were fooled into believing it was unions, the supporters of the average worker, who were at fault and continue to be so in their eyes despite facts to the contrary.
ReplyDeleteBy establishing the principle that U.S. corporations could relocate production elsewhere and sell back into the United States, NAFTA undercut the bargaining power of American workers, which had driven the expansion of the middle class since the end of World War II. The result has been 20 years of stagnant wages and the upward redistribution of income, wealth and political power.
NAFTA strengthened the ability of U.S. employers to force workers to accept lower wages and benefits. As soon as NAFTA became law, corporate managers began telling their workers that their companies intended to move to Mexico unless the workers lowered the cost of their labor.
The destructive effect of NAFTA on the Mexican agricultural and small business sectors dislocated several million Mexican workers and their families, and was a major cause in the dramatic increase in undocumented workers flowing into the U.S. labor market. This put further downward pressure on U.S. wages, especially in the already lower paying market for less skilled labor.
anon@1:00: you sure are modest, expert on NAFTA, but willing to signanonymous. Mexico besides, with China & Korean motors, for unions going on 39day strikes puts their long game short.
DeleteAs we write these comments, China is building massive electric car manufacturing plants in Mexico. In effect, China is using Mexico as a base to further destroy our American manufacturing industry. A possible reason? Cheaply made Chinese electric vehicles can be driven over our border for sale rather than shipped over here by sea. I will not be surprised if Mack’s presence here continues to decline.
ReplyDeleteEV sales are down as consumers are rejecting them for a number of reasons (not counting the price). GM is losing Buick Dealers as half of them are opting not to sell EVs. Ford EVs are sitting on the lots unsold, and EVs have horrible trade-in values, as the used market is almost zero. I would not be too concerned about Red Chinese EVs flooding the US market from Mexico as consumers simply don't want to buy them, whomever makes them.
DeleteI lived near the 8th street Bridge and remember the noon whistle evert day during the Summer.
ReplyDeleteAnd so life moves on. Thanks Mike !.....My old business picked up a few "laid-off" Mack workers.....Mack Trucks was a very good account for Valley Supreme Wholesale, back in the day...I"l be 85 years old soon !! Memories of the "Good Old Days", when Allentown was "humming" with good jobs, and employment.....PJF
ReplyDeleteMy money says what happened in the Carolinas will happen again... the workers will be incapable of reading the line setting tickets and not make the ordered changes from chassis to chassis. I ordered many trucks in my day and I wanted them the way I ordered them... MY WAY!!! If the manufacturer can;t supply what was specked out, it won't work for the end user. THIS is why Mack production came back to the valley!!!
ReplyDeleteNAFTA strategy was to grow and replace high tech jobs with low tech jobs. For example, we moved transformers to Mexico replacing them with integrated circuit design, development and manufacturing. During this period, we were number 1 in research and development. Now we’re 19th. Times have changed.
ReplyDeleteMichael, you know the Union for Mack’s sure didn’t help matters, when they called for a strike last year. Companies have a long memory!!!
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I remember when the Lionel Company moved production down to Mexico many years ago. Quality went way down, and the amount of stolen inventory that left the plant ( via the back door)was staggering. The company soon learned that it was too expensive to manufacture in Mexico. Now Lionel trains are made in CHINA. Go Figure!!!