The USA was the world’s strongest national economy for many years, and it now intends to make its way back to the top. Reindustrialisation is the keyword for this year’s partner country of the Hannover Messe trade fair. And this is also the case for Festo: the company has been investing in the American market for over 40 years and is a reliable partner for American enterprises, which now not only require machinery and production facilities, engineering expertise, software and supplier components for the establishment and modernisation of their production locations, but above all technical education.
Festo, the world market leader in automation technology and technical education, is offering precisely this, and in doing so is making its customers more productive and fit for the future. In these times of increasing automation, the company is thereby also securing jobs and salaries, as well as facilitating industrialisation in Germany and America. “After more than 40 years, Festo U.S. has developed a culture and personality uniquely suited to serving manufacturing and processing customers in the world’s largest economy,” said Richard Huss, General Manager of Festo U.S. “This fusion of German and American ideals and drive produces exciting opportunities for our customers as advanced automation creates a renaissance in U.S. manufacturing.”
Key concepts such as automation, Industry 4.0, production of the future and the Internet of Things are presenting the global market with immense challenges. “The technological standards and requirements in the local markets are on the increase. With our worldwide investments, we intend to meet these requirements while at the same time continuing to tap the potential of the global market to win additional market shares,” said Dr Claus Jessen, Chairman of the Management Board. In particular, the technical education of skilled employees plays a significant role here. On the U.S. market – which is setting out to promote industrialisation in its home country once more – there is still a great discrepancy between the requirements of the labour market and the extent of training that skilled employees receive. There is an increasing need for practically oriented technical education.
New solutions for the training of skilled employees
With its solutions for technical education and training, Festo is ensuring that skilled employees can handle the rapidly developing technologies, and is thereby creating optimal working conditions. Festo Didactic, the forerunner with its new education concepts and learning systems in the field of Industry 4.0, extended its position of market leadership last year. With the takeover of the U.S.-Canadian enterprise Lab-Volt (June 2014) the company enlarged its portfolio for example in the technological fields of electronics, electrical engineering and new energy systems.
At the same time, Festo Didactic is also cooperating in the USA with enterprises, organisations and universities in the development of technical education programmes that are optimally tailored to the American market.
Investments will strengthen the market position Festo offers the customised solutions and the expertise – smart, intuitive solutions coupled with innovative power – that U.S. companies now require, and is making investments on the American market: 40 million euros were invested in a new production and logistics centre that has now been established on an area of more than 15,000 m2 in Mason, Ohio. “Festo has made a strategic decision for the future with this new location in Mason, Ohio – in the region for the region,” said Dr Claus Jessen.
With 150 employees in all, the new Regional Service Centre (RSC) is creating room for further growth in the USA, Canada and Mexico. Here, the company will have at its disposal a modern logistics and manufacturing location with state-of-the-art automation technology and optimal process sequences for the production of valves and cylinders, for example, along with individual customised solutions, in medium quantities. Festo is thereby enabling its American customers from sectors such as the automotive, food and pharmaceutical industries to rapidly and flexibly develop their production in keeping with market requirements and the new technologies. Jobs and production processes that had been relocated abroad can thus now be returned to the American market.
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