PORTLAND, Ore. – Daimler Trucks North America has a new corporate headquarters in north Portland.
It is a 268,000 square-foot office building on Swan Island that Daimler spent $150 million dollars to build. The nine story building will be home to as many as 1,150 employees.
The company’s leader said at a grand opening ceremony Tuesday that the building was built with Daimler's concern for the environment in mind, and will earn a LEEDS Platinum certification soon.
“As a leader in the industry with a reputation for high standards in engineering and sustainable practices, we felt it was important to have our headquarters campus reflect those values,” said Martin Daum, president and CEO of Daimler Trucks North America.
The grand opening celebration was clouded somewhat by protesters, who contend Daimler’s truck painting practices are creating an air quality in the area.
In a news release, Neighbors for Clean Air said it was “…demanding the company install pollution controls to prevent the noxious fumes that leave the truck manufacturing facility and end up in the neighborhood above them in University Park.”
Daum disputed the idea that Daimler is polluting the air with paint fumes that need to be cleaned up.
“Environmentally we have the best factories and work very closely with the authorities and if we can measure something and prove it then we will do it,” said Daum.