The estimated $22 million expansion will give the company additional space that will be used to engineer, develop, integrate, and build robotic systems, officials said. Also, it will provide additional space for the retrofit and rebuild of previously deployed systems.
When the company built the facility in 2011, it purchased additional land to support its expectation of continued growth, according to senior marketing communication specialist Jennifer Katchmar.
“The way everything has gone in the last couple of years with the robotics and automation industry, it’s really increased and our demand has increased over time, and we’ve been exceptionally busy, especially this last year,” Katchmar said. “We’re at the point where we have outgrown our current manufacturing area, so that was one of the main drivers because we’ve just outgrown it and the floor is very full with equipment and other things happening. We just figured it was a good time to do this.”
Construction is expected to start this month and take about a year, she said.
JobsOhio, Ohio’s private jobs creation arm, provided a $300,000 grant for the project, Katchmar said.
The city of Miamisburg, on behalf of the company, also sought and was awarded a grant of $350,000 to help with the expansion via the Economic Development/Government Equity (ED/GE) Advisory committee, which advises Montgomery County commissioners on economic incentives funding.
Miamisburg City Council is expected to vote Tuesday on a 50% tax credit on the new jobs for a 5-year period for the robotics manufacturer, Mayor Michelle Collins told Dayton Daily News.
Yaskawa Motoman is one of Miamisburg’s largest employers and has multiple facilities throughout North America, Collins said. Helping it choose to build the expansion in Miamisburg is important to the city, she said.
“They are creating at least 70 new high-paying jobs,” Collins said. “Those people will likely live and/or eat and shop in our community. That spin-off economic impact is important to the entire economy.”
With labor shortages in the Americas, more companies are turning to automation to meet increased production demands and improve efficiencies, according to Steve Barhorst, Yaskawa Motoman’s president and chief operating officer.
“This addition will increase our capacity to support our continued record-breaking growth and enable us to reduce lead times and continue to deliver high quality, innovative robotic solutions to our valued customers and partners,” Barhorst said in a release.
About the Author
