German manufacturer invests $100 M in new production plant

Ziehl-Abegg, a German manufacturer of electric drives and fans is investing in a new production plant in the USA.

 


Team ZIEHL-ABEGG new factory

On the photo (from left): Thomas Brommer (ZA group), Jimmy Mitchell (ZA USA), Dr Marc Wucherer (CEO ZA group), Joachim Ley (ZA group) and Mirco Herrmann (ZA USA) - image source: Ziehl-Abegg

USA, North Carolina, Winston-Salem: Ziehl-Abegg, a German manufacturer of electric drives and fans is boosting its production and sales activities in North America, investing in a new production plant in the USA.

“This day marks the beginning of Ziehl-Abegg’s $100 M investment into a new, cutting-edge production plant for the North American market.”, says Dr Marc Wucherer, Chief Executive Officer of the fan manufacturer. This is the largest single investment at one location in the company’s 113-year history and is the result of the strong growth in quiet, robust and energy-saving fans in the markets in Mexico, Canada and the USA.

Growth in North America has enabled the Greensboro (North Carolina) site to increasingly accelerate its rate of expansion since its inception in 2004. The figures are impressive: In the first 10 years, the number of employees at Ziehl-Abegg in the USA only grew from 0 to 40; in the past 8 years, it has already increased from 40 to 230. And by 2030, it is anticipated that there will be 800 people working for the company in the USA.

The new plant, with the administration building attached, will be constructed in Winston-Salem (North Carolina). This is about 20 km away from the existing site. The building, covering an area of 46,500 m2, is expected to be ready for occupancy in 2024. The existing production plant will then be relocated to the new site in 2025.

“We will not only be expanding capacities but also increasing the level of vertical integration. Thanks to a system of fully self-contained production, starting with the motors, we will be able to offer our customers a high degree of flexibility and short delivery times,” says Chief Operating Officer Joachim Lay.

Winding machines, welding robots and CNC machines have been installed for this purpose. Due to the location’s central function, the site will include a high-bay warehouse, which optimizes vertical storage capacity.

“And in the mid-term, we will also be setting up a development hub with a laboratory in Winston-Salem,” says Mirco Herrmann. This will utilize an extensive system of air measurement and motor test rigs.

 

Source: Ziehl-Abegg