German manufacturer of electric drives and fans, Ziehl Abegg, is investing $100 million in a new production facility in the United States.
The company will boost production and sales activities in North America with the construction of a plant in Winston, Salem.
Ziehl Abegg CEO, Dr. Marc Wucherer, said it is the largest single investment at one location in the company's 113-year history and is the result of strong growth in Mexico, Canada and the US.
“Growth in North America has enabled the Greensboro (North Carolina) site to increasingly accelerate its rate of expansion since its inception in 2004.
A decade ago, Ziehl-Abegg had 40 staff in the US. In the past eight years it has risen to 230.
This figure is set to reach 800 with 11 sales offices serving all of North America.
Ziehl-Abegg’s US managing director, Mirco Herrmann, said the company is a world leader in the field of ventilation and drive technology, as well as the corresponding control technology.
"In addition to data centres, areas of application for these products include heating and refrigeration systems, clean rooms and agricultural systems,” he said.
The new plant is about 20 kilometers from the existing site. The building, which covers an area of 46,500 square meters, is expected to be ready for occupancy in 2024. The existing production plant will then be relocated to the new site in 2025.
The production plant will have a high level of vertical integration to provide customers with a high degree of flexibility and short delivery times. Winding machines, welding robots and CNC machines have been installed for this purpose.
There are plans to set up a development hub with a laboratory which will utilise an extensive system of air measurement and motor test rigs.