CLEVELAND, N.C. – Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) has broken ground on its new logistics center at the company’s truck manufacturing plant in Cleveland, N.C.

Expected to be completed early 2019, the center represents a $27 million investment in Daimler’s effort to improve its manufacturing targets of quality, efficiency, and offering a high quality workplace.

The company held a groundbreaking ceremony during a town hall meeting where over 1,400 employees gathered to celebrate the expansion of the truck manufacturing plant.

“DTNA is committed long-term to doing business in Cleveland, and this is our next step toward continued manufacturing excellence involving end-to-end logistics,” said Henning Bruns, Cleveland truck manufacturing plant manager. “This is an important investment that helps further our commitment to efficiency in all our processes, which benefits both our employees and our customers.”

Once the new center is complete, the facility will consolidate multiple existing warehouses and allow for more efficient conveyance of parts to assembly lines with the use of advanced lean logistics concepts. The new logistics center will also be capable of converting forklifts to tuggers and automated guided vehicles, which the company says creates a safer and more efficient traffic pattern throughout the plant.

The Cleveland plant produces Freightliner and Western Star Class 8 trucks for the North American market and Freightliner Columbia and Argosy cab-over-engine models for export.