Wittmann Battenfeld adds another 50,000 square feet in Torrington

There they grow again: On Oct. 5, Wittmann Battenfeld USA officially signed papers for the purchase of a building adjacent to its U.S. headquarters in Torrington, CT. Construction will begin immediately with a plan to move in by February 2016, said the company in a news release published today. This follows a 20,000-square-foot expansion that was completed just last year by the company, which has its global headquarters in Vienna, Austria.Wittmann Battenfeld USA President David Preusse cited five key reasons for the latest expansion:Increased robotics production requirements; with upwards of 500 robots per year produced from just this plant, we must add more painting, welding and machining centers.Increased material handling and auxiliaries production requirements to meet increased demand.The need for consolidation of an ever-growing inventory, which has been housed both in-house and at offsite locations.Increased space for the company's Injection Molding Division to house additional operating workcells for both demonstration purposes and customer run offs.To optimize efficiencies in shipping & receiving, inventory controls and what ever else best serves customer needs.Wittmann Battenfeld's current U.S. headquarters building (left) sits next to
the building the company has just purchased."The beauty is this property acquisition is right beside us—already built—so we can build a roadway and still have a common onsite campus now for us and visitors," said Preusse. "This space allows for future growth for all three of our divisions: IMM, Robots & Automation, and Material Handling & Auxiliaries."The new 50,000-square-foot facility will be occupied entirely by Wittmann Battenfeld's Material Handling and Auxiliaries Division, headed by Divisional Manager, Michael Stark. Of the 50,000 square feet, 7,000 is dedicated to offices for sales, engineering and service, while the remaining 43,000 will be used for production and warehouse space for the division and for occasions when the current plant requires additional staged storage space."This expansion will help facilitate what has been rapid growth in our Material Handling and Auxiliaries Division," said Stark in a prepared statement. "With many new orders in place already and the prospect of more growth moving forward, and to add some dedicated manufacturing, assembly and repair lines, and for office staff plans, we need the space!"Wittmann Battenfeld's current U.S. headquarters building was recently expanded to 90,000 square feet in 2014, and will be getting its own renovations as the new expansion gets underway. Machinery and equipment will be added and the company will incorporate some new steady production flow processes to better streamline operations, which will help shorten lead times and keep up with increased demand."By expanding to the new building next door, we will have an impressive campus in Torrington with almost 150,000 square feet of office and manufacturing space", said Sonny Morneault, VP Sales Wittmann Battenfeld USA. "We are thankful to our customers and our dedicated employees and agents, who are second to none and continue to drive this growth."