Old Dominion Freight Line Inc. has opened a new service center in Altoona, Pennsylvania, in response to significant growth in the region. The company plans to immediately hire 14 employees to support the new facility and expects to make 10 additional hires by September 2012.

Construction of the service center is part of a $100-120 million investment that Old Dominion is committing to real estate purchases and expansion projects in 2011. The Altoona Service Center will enhance the company's existing network of six additional service centers in Pennsylvania, where trucks move more than 1.2 million tons of freight each business day.

'Altoona's location in central Pennsylvania along the Interstate 99 corridor ' and in close proximity to Interstate 70 and Interstate 80 ' will allow us to provide direct, next-day service to many locations that previously required a two-day shipping window,' said Bob Rice, service center manager at the Old Dominion Altoona Service Center. 'The service center will allow us to continue growth in Pennsylvania, enabling us to provide our customers with more shipping options.'

Old Dominion constructed the 40-door facility, located on an eight-acre site at 147 Theater Drive in Duncansville. To start operations, the company will employ 16 to provide service to nearly 75 cities in a 50-mile radius surrounding Altoona.