The company will relocate its Renton, Washington operations to Greer, South Carolina.
HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill.—Omron Automation reported that it will relocate its current operations in Renton, Washington, to Atlas at Inland Port Greer in Greer, South Carolina. The move is a manifestation of Omron’s strategy to focus on expanding production capacity in the Americas, improving lead times, and providing enhanced service, Omron said in a release.
Omron Automation, established in 1933, is a global industrial automation partner that creates, sells, and services fully integrated automation systems that include sensing, control, safety, vision, motion, robotics, and more.
“We have conducted a thorough search of potential manufacturing locations and have selected a site that can best serve the future needs, competitive pricing, and expectations of our valued customers,” said Omron Automation Americas Managing Director Mark Sadie, in the release.
The relocation is expected to occur by May of 2024. At the facility, Omron will manufacture motion controllers and drives, machine vision systems, barcode readers, and verification systems.
Omron reported that it has future plans to expand production in South Carolina to include some of its highest demand technologies currently made in other global factories. As part of this expansion, Omron is planning to establish a state-of-the-art Proof of Concept Center (PoCC), where customers can see solutions in action, collaborate with experts, and proactively validate solutions.
Omron said that Spartanburg County, the State of South Carolina, and One Spartanburg, Inc., have “provided a terrific vision for how Omron fits into the region’s growth initiatives as an automation innovator driving economic and workforce development.” Omron partnered with JLL on site selection advisory services and Burns & McDonnell for design and construction services. Omron is also partnering with readySC, an integral part of the South Carolina Technical College System, to recruit and train its new workforce in South Carolina.
The company has also been making use of services provided by the Spark Center at Spartanburg Community College to begin moving its production facility, and to produce and ship product prior to completion of construction. This is allowing for a much easier transition of its manufacturing operations to South Carolina, Omron said in the release.
The move reflects the company’s commitment to its global strategy of multi-site manufacturing and localized production, according to Omron.
“It is our mission to provide customers with exceptional service and support to help them achieve success,” Sadie explained. “With this relocation, we feel confident we can continue delivering the highest level of service and support our customers have come to expect from Omron.”