Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) has made a long-term commitment to Portland by unveiling plans that it intends to construct a new 265,000-square-foot headquarters building and parking garage on its Swan Island campus.
In addition, DTNA launched its Daimler Education in Motion program, which benefits Portland metro area and Southwest Washington schools with more than $330,000 in donations and mentoring programs geared toward career development in engineering and manufacturing.
The new corporate headquarters building will serve two distinct functions: to merge DTNA employees currently located in offices separated by the Willamette River and to accommodate approximately 400 new positions in Portland that the company anticipates it will need in conjunction with future business growth. The total project requires a $150 million investment by DTNA and is expected to be completed in 2016. Local and State incentives are in the process of being finalized.
“As we prepare for our future, our new headquarters building in Portland will position us for long-term business optimization and efficiencies while enhancing the employee experience in a contemporary, environmentally friendly and technically advanced facility,” said Martin Daum, president and CEO, Daimler Trucks North America. “We are pleased to announce these actions that underscore our ongoing commitment to the City of Portland and the state of Oregon.”
DTNA is placing a priority on creating an environmentally conscious plan with the goal to achieve LEED Platinum Certification, the most prestigious certification available through the U.S. Green Building Council. In addition, DTNA is working with the Port of Portland to significantly enhance the greenway that runs through the property along the Willamette River to promote better access and enjoyment by the public.
Daimler’s Education in Motion campaign is a collection of corporate giving initiatives benefiting science, technology, engineering and mathematic (STEM) and Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs in 34 Portland metro area and Southwest Washington schools. Two of the campaign’s more significant initiatives are Pathways in Manufacturing and the Daimler Educational Outreach program. Today, the company announced donations totaling close to $330,000 to help support these two programs.
Along with Vigor Industrial, DTNA is a founding sponsor of IMPACT NW’s Pathways to Manufacturing program. The company’s partnership will create, launch, and implement training programs for high school students interested in a career path in manufacturing. In 2013, Pathways to Manufacturing introduced a manufacturing career path to more than a dozen students from Centennial High School in Gresham, Ore., and Franklin High School in Portland, providing them with professional soft-skills training, informational site visits, and mentored internships.