Mazak Corp. Invests $30 Million in Kentucky HQ Expansion

Machine tool maker Mazak Corp. will significantly expand its North American headquarters in Florence, KY. Mazak is investing $30 million to expand its campus an additional 200,000 square feet, allowing the privately held company to increase its production capacity to 200 machines per month. The Japanese-owned company projects to add up to 75 jobs in Northern Kentucky when the expansion is completed in October 2013.

“I feel bad for the companies that are suffering in this economy, because we’re on the opposite side of the cycle,” Mazak president Brian Papke said.

The newly created jobs — about 50 full time — will be a mixture of technology, management and general labor positions, including engineers, manufacturing supervisors, welders, machinists and assemblers. Mazak employs 700 in Northern Kentucky and is expanding its campus for the 16th time since opening the plant in Boone County in 1974.

“Mazak continues to make a commitment in our community,” said Steve Stevens, president of the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. “Since the ‘70s, they have shown a trend of expansion and been a support to the Northern Kentucky economy. They could probably choose to go a lot of different places, yet they choose to stay here and use this workforce.”

Mazak will add a building to the four-building campus, increasing total floor space to 800,000 square feet. The company also will expand its North American parts center on the campus, increasing the facility’s storage capacity by 25 percent. The expansion will allow Mazak to stock more than 50,000 parts, valued at more than $65 million. Papke said 97 percent of all orders are available for same-day delivery.

DHL Express’ ongoing growth at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport has been critical for Mazak, Papke said.

“We ship all the Northern American parts made here,” Papke said. DHL’s expansion “has been a very, very big part of what we’ve been doing. That’s very positive for us.”