Rattunde Showcases New Facility
The 30,000 sq ft plant builds automated finished length tube and solid bar production systems.
Posted: June 23, 2015
Rattunde Corporation (Caledonia, MI), a German-based manufacturer of finished length tube and solid bar production systems, has been operating in the North American market for over eight years. The company’s success was celebrated with a technology open house on May 13-14, during which guests saw a resident machine in action, taking steel tube lengths and producing finished, cut-to-length, chamfered and machined tubing sections, automatically stacked for shipping, all within the work envelope of the machine.
Rattunde president Richard Stadler proudly opened the doors to the 30,000 sq ft facility in Caledonia Township, located near the company’s previous location in Grand Rapids, MI. The plant houses the North American sales and service operations, plus spare parts inventory and manufacturing operations for the production of machine tooling. Areas within the new facility also house a technical center with a machine onsite at all times for demonstration and training.
Future plans call for an expansion of the building to over 100,000 sq ft, enabling the fabricator to produce their entire finished length tube and solid bar production systems here domestically. This decision was reached after an analysis of the current and anticipated business needs of the company, according to Stadler. “Our growth in North America has been rapid, though not unexpected, due to the unique nature of our equipment and the reliability and performance characteristics of our machines.”
He further noted that solid growth of the company into diverse markets throughout North America made the new facility a logical choice. In commenting on the new facility, Stadler added, “There were several reasons why we wanted to remain in the greater Grand Rapids area, but one of the main reasons is the excellent talent base here. Companies are built on people and, whether you are looking for an experienced veteran of industry or a fresh graduate from one of our ranking high schools, colleges or universities, outstanding people can be found here in the Grand Rapids area.”
Concurrent with this development, Rattunde has expanded its workforce with technical service and administrative personnel. As Stadler explains, “Whenever a machinery company grows quickly, there’s an ever-present need for more customer service and technical personnel. Of course, new people must be found and trained.” He went on to explain that rapid growth also means working smarter.
Rather than waiting for a customer to reach out to them in a time of need, Rattunde is proactively sending technicians to the customer and performing comprehensive machine inspections, identifying and correcting small issues before they become large ones.
In the end, Stadler says, “This new facility solidifies our North American presence in the high-volume tube and solid bar production markets, thus benefiting our current and future customers in many ways. It’s a purpose-built building, with a forward-looking eye on all we will need to build our machines and systems from the ground up.”
Over 100 guests joined in this two-day event, watching the machine operate, examining the dedicated tooling that will be produced onsite, participating in the technical sessions led by Stadler and company vice president Alec Banish, plus enjoying the outdoor barbeque, as the weather cooperated nicely.
The attendees comprised company personnel, sales representatives from the North American network, honored guests from the parent company in Germany, plus numerous customers, prospective business partners and suppliers. A good time was had by all!
Subscribe to learn the latest in manufacturing.
