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Dive brief:
- Rockwell Automation said so plans to build a factory equipped with advanced automation, robotics and digital systems in Wisconsin as part of a larger $2 billion bid to strengthen its U.S. operations.
- The facility has the potential to be Rockwell’s largest manufacturing campus with more than 1 million square feet of production and warehouse space. A company spokesman declined to say what exactly would be manufactured there.
- Construction and site planning are ongoing with local and state officials. The Milwaukee-based company said the factory will be near its headquarters. Job creation and cost details were not disclosed in the company’s press release.
Diving knowledge:
The project is part of Rockwell’s previously announced plans last quarter to invest in its production plants, digital infrastructure and workforce in an effort to boost its margins over the next five years.
“These initiatives are underway and will unlock future growth and margin expansion with the U.S. as the primary beneficiary,” CEO Blake Moret said in a earnings call on November 6. The total investment will be approximately 80% capital expenditures and 20% operating expenditures, Rockwell’s said. on Wednesday investor day.
The new factory would increase Rockwell’s manufacturing footprint of 10 facilities worldwide, according to the the company’s latest annual report. These operations are primarily located in the US, Mexico, Poland, India, Canada and Singapore.
The greenfield location will be equipped with the latest Rockwell technology, allowing the company to showcase its products to customers on-site, said Christian Rothe, vice president and chief financial officer. Rockwell Investor Day. It will also be designed and programmed in Nvidia’s Omniverse to ensure the plant is at the highest quality and efficiency “before a shovel is put in the ground,” Rothe said.
Rockwell, founded in 1903 like the Compression Rheostat Co.has marketed itself as the world’s largest company focused on industrial automation and digital transformation.
According to the annual report of the company. Rockwell too recently expanded production of its autonomous mobile robots at its headquarters.
The Milwaukee Business Journal reported that Rockwell may be circling a 100-acre site in New Berlin, Wis., for its new factory.
A Rockwell spokesman said in an email that “more details will be shared as the project progresses.”
