Photo by Jim Muchlinski North Central International General Manager Nathan Deutz leads a staff of 28 people at the company’s Marshall location. They celebrated with a grand re-opening after a $1.5 million remodeling project.

MARSHALL — The heavy duty truck business is changing to meet modern demand, and North Central International is keeping up with the times.

The company completed a $1.5 million remodeling project this year at its Marshall location, one of 14 in an Upper Midwest region. A ribbon cutting and open house took place on Thursday.

North Central International Manager Nathan Deutz said more than 200 lunches were served as part of the activities.

The project took about a year to complete. It included a new floor, new ventilation, new exterior, a new break room and locker room area, and other upgrades.

“It was time to make some improvements,” Deutz said. “We’re investing in the business because we expect continued growth. We decided to make a lot of changes all at once.”

He said one of the main goals was to give the 28 North Central International Marshall-based employees the best possible work environment; one that’s clean, comfortable and modern.

More than half of the staff work in mechanical jobs. The rest work with parts, office tasks, sales and management.

“We want to be able to hire the best people, ones who know our industry or can quickly learn it,” Deutz said. “Part of being able to do that is to have first rate facilities. We created something that can meet any expectations.”

He said business activity has increased as a result of the remodeling. He hopes to attract additional customers, which would enable more hiring.

The Marshall location was formerly known as Olson and Johnson International. Deutz said the 14 sites have a young group of progressive owners.

“We looked long term when we planned improvements in Marshall,” he said. “We did something that will meet our needs for a long time. We’re likely to be in Marshall for at least 50 years.”

North Central International offers a combination of new and used trucks, suitable for any type of business or personal transportation needs.

Marshall Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Brad Gruhot, who took part in Thursday’s ribbon cutting, said the remodeling project is an example of an employer making a strong investment in the Marshall area.

“They’ve created something substantial, a facility they can be proud to own,” Gruhot said. “It’s an important step forward for them. There will also be benefits for our entire community.”