The production automation company Schunk is preparing for the next step of its global growth by investing around 85 million euros in its facilities at Brackenheim-Hausen (Germany), Mengen (Germany), St Georgen (Germany), and Morrisville (USA) by mid-2020.

These investments, which will create around 42,000m² of additional production and admin space, have already seen new buildings for the US plant in North Carolina officially handed over (in mid-June).

Schunk Intec USA (www.schunk.com) is the company’s largest subsidiary; it was founded in 1992 to ensure proximity to its American customers and to the US subsidiaries of German corporations.

On-site production ensures short delivery times and high flexibility, especially when it comes to components that are produced specifically for the American market.

Schunk invested almost 10 million euros in the latest expansion of the site.

In addition, 40 million euros is being invested in the ‘Competence Centre for Gripping Systems’ in Brackenheim-Hausen, doubling the size of the existing production area, while a further 30 million euros is being spent on the ‘Competence Center for Lathe Chuck Technology and Stationary Workholding’ in Mengen.

The St Georgen site in the Black Forest has already seen a spend of 5 million euros to double the size of its production area.

CEO Henrik Schunk said: “We will experience a boom in automation and digitalisation world-wide in the coming years, and we will only be able to handle this by having the right capacities.”

The family-owned company employs more than 3,500 people. It operates 34 directly owned subsidiaries and nine plants around the world.