Schubert confirms key expansion for its North American headquarters
Schubert North America has confirmed plans to expand its North American headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina, in response to continued business growth in the region, reports Neill Barston.
The company noted its improved fortunes in the US – which are developing at ‘an above average rate’ and have been driven by high quality local training and a corresponding service programme for its customers.
According to the packaging machinery business, its new headquarters building, which is to be built on newly acquired land, is approximately 45000 sq.ft, will include sales, engineering, service, final assembly, and a customer training centre.
With a total size of 7.36 acres, the entire site offers plenty of room for future growth. “An important criterion when selecting the land, was the possibility to add even further buildings in the future”, says Hartmut Siegel (main image), Chief Executive Officer at Schubert North America. With an investment of almost tens of millions in its new North American headquarters, Schubert underlines its commitment to the region and emphasises the strategic significance of the North American market over the long term.
“We are expanding our location for our North American customers,” explains Hartmut Siegel, “In addition to our new offices, an assembly hall will be built at the new location. Final assembly and commissioning for TLM packaging machines will be performed. There will be a workshop for service activities, as well. In the past, customers often had to fly to Schubert’s global headquarters in Crailsheim, Germany, for final acceptance of new machine projects. In the future, acceptance of selected machines will take place directly on site in Charlotte, NC.”
The new building will be designed according to Schubert’s new corporate sustainability initiative Mission Blue. The new headquarters will become a climate-neutral building equipped with the latest technology to generate green electricity in the future.
The Schubert subsidiary manages and grows the company’s business across the continent. “The market has developed disproportionately well,” explains Hartmut Siegel, “Fortunately, the pandemic has not slowed down the ongoing development of our product innovations. Demand from our North American customers for state-of-the-art packaging technology with great flexibility and a high degree of automation has been high.” The pandemic also highlighted the importance of autonomy and direct support for Schubert’s customers in North America.
The city of Charlotte has become a hub of headquarters for German businesses in the United States. There are 213 German companies in the area, including Bayer, Lufthansa, Siemens, Thyssen-Krupp and, since 2015, Schubert North America. The newly acquired location offers multiple possibilities. It is located directly near a major highway, close to the international airport and not far from the University of North Carolina and the Central Piedmont Community College.
Schubert North America plans to develop close partnerships with both institutions. “Our service team will have everything right on their doorstep. Service team members could even complete a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree at the university part-time. Additionally, we could offer internships for students,” highlights Hartmut Siegel. An upgrade of local service expertise in combination with a capacity expansion for new machines, are the objectives Schubert has set for this project. Schubert North America will therefore be even closer to its customers and more responsive. Hartmut Siegel recounts: “Our customers and employees are enthusiastic about the land acquisition and investment plans.”
