SCHUNK Starts Expansion of U.S. Headquarters
Construction begins for a state-of-the-art tech center and training facility, additional manufacturing capabilities, and increased office space.
Posted: August 25, 2017
SCHUNK USA (Morrisville, NC) announced the start of construction of an expansion at their U.S. headquarters that will more than double the size of existing facilities. Their U.S. headquarters is already the largest facility outside of Germany. This expansion will provide space for a state-of-the-art tech center and training facility, additional manufacturing capabilities, as well as increased office space to allow them to better serve customer needs.
The company will be investing $30 million in infrastructure, equipment, and personnel by 2022. More than 80 new jobs will be created over the course of four years. In addition to the jobs created and the stimulus to the local economy, the manufacturing community will benefit greatly from this resource. The additional manpower will enable the company to provide even greater customer care and continue to meet the demands of a rapidly growing and continually evolving manufacturing industry. “This expansion is important for us to continue meeting the needs of our customers,” commented Milton Guerry, the president of SCHUNK USA. “As manufacturing processes grow and change, we will continue to be a leader in the industry with cutting edge technology and a focus that continually places the customer first.”
Two separate expansions will be built in phases. Initially, a 19,000 sq ft addition to the east side of the building will expand the size of the manufacturing area by 150 percent and allow for greater efficiency and increased production capabilities to better respond to customer requests and specialty orders. This addition will also double the space dedicated to the successful NCTAP apprenticeship program, allowing the company to continue to train future generations of workers.
A separate 22,000 sq ft three-story addition to the north side of the building will encompass a state-of-the-art Tec-Center, training facility, and more office space. With these facilities, the company will be able to host enhanced training programs for distributors and customers, allowing them to understand products better and improve their own applications. The Tec-Center will showcase the latest innovative technology for customers to view products in a real life application and through interactive demonstrations.
Construction of this expansion at 211 Kitty Hawk Drive in Morrisville is expected to be completed in the fall of 2018. This milestone was celebrated with a groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday, August 15, that included remarks by Guerry and Bernd Schellenbauer, the chief financial officer of SCHUNK Germany. Ed Yerha, the mayor pro tem of Cary, NC, spoke about the importance of manufacturing in the U.S. Other guests included North Carolina state representative Joe John, several members of the Cary chamber of commerce, and representatives of prominent area manufacturing companies.
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