SCHUNK USA is pleased to announce the start of construction of an expansion at their US headquarters that will more than double the size of existing facilities. SCHUNK’s US 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 SCHUNK to better serve customer needs.
SCHUNK will be investing $30 million in infrastructure, equipment, and personnel by 2022. More than 80 new jobs will be created over the course of 4 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 SCHUNK 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. As manufacturing processes grow and change, SCHUNK will continue to be a leader in the industry with cutting edge technology and a focus that continually places the customer first.”, commented Milton Guerry, President of SCHUNK USA.
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%. This will 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 SCHUNK 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, SCHUNK 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.
SCHUNK celebrated this milestone with a groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday, August 15th, that included remarks by Milton Guerry, SCHUNK US President, and Bernd Schellenbauer, CFO SCHUNK Germany. Ed Yerha, Mayor pro tem of Cary, spoke about the importance of manufacturing in the US. Other guests included North Carolina State Representative Joe John, several members of the Cary Chamber of Commerce, and representatives of prominent area manufacturing companies.
Construction of the expansion at 211 Kitty Hawk Drive in Morrisville, is expected to be completed in the Fall of 2018. Please feel free to contact SCHUNK or stop by for more information.
About SCHUNK
SCHUNK is a German family-owned company and global player in one. More than 2,700 employees in 8 plants and 30 directly owned subsidiaries and distribution partners in more than 50 countries throughout the world ensure an intensive market presence. SCHUNK designs and manufactures an unmatched selection of clamping technology and gripping systems. www.schunk.com
This article originally appeared in Robotics Tomorrrow.