Rita Conroy-Martin, marketing director for Zoller USA, says nearly tripling Zoller's Ann Arbor space was a "no-brainer" for the manufacturing hardware and software company.
"Ann Arbor is an amazing location for investment from foreign companies," Conroy-Martin says, praising the city's infrastructure, quality of life, and innovation.
Zoller started in Germany in 1945, and the company's U.S. operations were founded in Ann Arbor in 1997 by Alexander Zoller, a third-generation Zoller family member. The company serves a variety of industries by making sure tools are correctly pre-set so that measuring for parts is within the necessary specifications.
Zoller's new building at 3900 Research Park Dr. in Ann Arbor allows for expansion of the company's North American headquarters as part of an overall growth strategy. The 44,000-square-foot facility is nearly triple the size of its former location and currently houses 99 employees.
Conroy says the company plans to add more employees, particularly staff to service machines when there's a problem, but she didn't have specific numbers on how many new hires the company was planning.
The new HQ includes space for corporate sales, service, and administrative offices as well as an 8,800-square-foot tech center spotlighting the connected and automated manufacturing technologies known in the industry as "Industry 4.0." Conroy-Martin says the company has already been inviting customers to come in and see demonstrations of its newest technology, and that will continue in the new tech center.
"As manufacturing drives toward 4.0 technology, where all the software and hardware is interconnected, we're positioning ourselves and our customers to adapt to the reality of the future," she says.
The company officially took possession of the building in January and plans a grand opening May 18.
"It's a brand new beginning for us to expand our footprint in North America and serve our partners and customers in a better way," Conroy-Martin says.
Sarah Rigg is a freelance writer and editor in Ypsilanti Township. You may reach her at sarahrigg1@gmail.com.
Images courtesy of Zoller USA.
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