Machine tool builder Mori Seiki (Chicago, Illinois) has broken ground on a 200,000-square-foot factory on a 14.5-acre site in Davis, California. The plant will be the company’s first manufacturing facility in North America and will employ between 150 and 200 personnel.
At capacity, the new facility is expected to produce as many as 100 new units per month, focusing at first on the X-Class HMCs. Construction is slated for completion in the fall 2012.
The company says a favorable exchange rate was one factor in its decision to locate a manufacturing facility in the United States. “If the value of the U.S. dollar declines, it will become fiscally advantageous to manufacture machine tools in North America, eliminating the cost of importing from Japan,” says Dr. Masahiko Mori, president of Mori Seiki. According to the company, the addition of a new North American factory is expected to offset any disparity in the exchange rate between the two currencies and will ensure that customers continue to receive the same level of quality they have come to expect.
DMG/Mori Seiki USA also recently opened a joint technical center in Houston with Ellison Technologies. Dedicated to showcasing DMG and Mori Seiki machine tools and technology for the energy and oilfield industries, the 22,500-square-foot facility feature a 6,500-square-foot showroom as well as a training and media area for seminars, product demonstrations and training sessions.
.png;maxWidth=300;quality=90)
