$40 million invested: Dürr opens new US campus

 

Dürr has opened a modern campus site in Southfield, Michigan for more than 500 employees, combining the activities of the mechanical and plant engineering firm had previously carried out at three different locations in the Detroit area.

 

Ralf Dieter, CEO of Dürr AG, said the volume of investment amounts to approximately $40 million.

 

“This investment is a clear commitment to the North American market,” Dieter said. “From Southfield we can support our customers even more effectively and exploit the growing potential of the US market.”

 

Apart from painting and final assembly technology, Southfield also accommodates facilities for cleaning and exhaust-air purification technology as well as the balancing technology business for the automotive industry. These activities were previously housed in Plymouth, Wixom and Auburn Hills.

 

The Southfield campus has nearly 100,000 square feet of offices, and it also includes a validation, test and training center which exceeds another 100,000 square feet.

 

“The campus provides our employees with the ideal communication platform and ensures even more efficient cooperation, for example in engineering, service, sales and project execution,” said Bruno Welsch, head of the U.S. company Dürr Systems Inc. “This is a key factor, especially for large system contracts. Our test and training center comes complete with Dürr’s latest high-tech equipment, offering customers the perfect environment to run training and tests.”

 

A 1960s office building was used as the basis for the Dürr campus. Within just six months it had been completely gutted and adapted to Dürr's construction requirements. The result is a modern, energy-efficient complex with open-plan architecture and short distances.

 

In 2015, the Dürr Group's order intake in North America had increased to $820 million. Welsch said this year further growth is expected on the back of the high level of sales and investment in the automotive industry.

 

Bruce Hettle, Global Vice President Manufacturing and Labor Affairs for Ford Motor Company highlighted the long partnership with Dürr.

 

“They always think about the future and innovation and the next step to competitiveness,” Hettle said. “The campus will offer opportunities to work on this collaboration and to take both companies to the next level.”

 

For information, visit durr.com