WEB EXCLUSIVE: Haas expands factory outlets in India

With four Haas Factory Outlets (HFOs) already open, and a fifth scheduled to open in Chennai around June, Haas Automation Inc. (Oxnard, CA) has expanded its presence in India to meet the country’s booming manufacturing economy. Two new facilities were recently opened by this global machine tool supplier in Bihwadi (near Delhi) and in Ahmedabad, and Haas expects to increase sales in the country from the 549 machine tools sold last year to more than 700 in 2008. By 2010, annual machine sales are expected to exceed 2000.

“They already have the largest forging facility in the world,” says Justin Quan, Haas business manager for Asia. “India has about 8 to 9 percent growth in GDP each year, and this year should be no different. The HFO network grows with India’s industrial revolution.”

The HFOs are locally owned and operated machine tool distributors, equipped with demonstration areas, spare parts inventories, training facilities, and sales, service, and applications engineers. All of the Haas products are built in the 1 million ft² manufacturing facility in Southern California.