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GREENSBORO — This year’s U.S. Capitol Christmas tree wasn’t grown in North Carolina, but Greensboro is playing a key role in the gigantic fir’s debut at the annual tree-lighting ceremony on The Mall next month.

The tree, on display this afternoon near Center City Park, owes its smooth journey across the country to Mack Trucks.

The truck manufacturer, headquartered in Greensboro, built and donated use of the Pinnacle Axle Back truck to haul the huge Sierra white fir on its three-week, 4,500-mile odyssey. The trip began Nov. 5 when the 65-foot-tall tree was felled in Stanislaus National Forest in California.

“We think it’s very appropriate moving the Capitol Christmas tree with a truck that is made in the USA and is the cleanest in the world, in terms of regulated emissions,” said John Walsh, Mack’s vice president of marketing.

The truck is a high-rise sleeper that includes all the comforts of home in a compartment behind the cab.

It sells for more than $100,000 and comes equipped with a full range of EPA-endorsed fuel-saving devices.

But the vehicle, assembled at Mack’s plant near Allentown, Pa., doesn’t draw crowds for its aerodynamics, according to U.S. Forest Service representative Maria Benech.

People are drawn by its festive paint job, said Benech, part of the Forest Service delegation tending the so-called “People’s Tree” on its journey.

The design includes reindeer antlers on the roof and an illustration on the sides of Mack’s icon, the bulldog, pulling a felled tree through a snowy forest.

People also like the bulldog hood ornament clad in a Santa outfit, Benech said: “We’ve had a couple people come with their bulldog (pets) and take a picture with it.”

Tree and truck will be on display in front of the downtown ice skating rink from 1 to 5:30 p.m. today. Visitors can take photos and sign a banner of holiday greetings, also headed to D.C.

Greensboro is one of a dozen cities visited along the way by the tree and its tenders.

Mack’s world headquarters relocated here about two years ago after the company was acquired by the Volvo Group, which has made Greensboro one of its corporate homes since the early 1980s.

Mack also is helping the federal government transport 100 smaller trees across the country to decorate federal buildings, along with thousands of handmade ornaments.

The tradition of hoisting the “People’s Tree” on the U.S. Capitol Mall dates to 1964, when then Speaker of the U.S. House John W. McCormack suggested it.

National forests rotate the honor of providing the tree each year.

Although the effort is spearheaded by the U.S. Forest Service, most costs are being shouldered by Mack and several other, private sponsors.

Contact Taft Wireback at 373-7100 or taft.wireback@news-record.com