Robotics Manufacturer Expanding In North Carolina

ATI Industrial Automation is getting set to break ground on its largest-ever expansion, which will create 275 new jobs at its Apex, NC operations.

ATI Industrial Automation will break ground on an expansion of its corporate and manufacturing headquarters in Apex, NC, on April 21, 2017. The expansion—the largest in ATI’s 28-year history—will increase the size of the Apex facility to 185,000 square feet.

ATI Industrial Automation Apex, NC
ATI Industrial Automation is expanding its corporate and manufacturing headquarters in Apex, NC.

ATI is an engineering-based developer of robotic accessories and robot arm tooling, including Automatic Tool Changers, Multi-Axis Force/Torque Sensing Systems, Utility Couplers, Robotic Deburring Tools, Robotic Collision Sensors, Manual Tool Changers, and Compliance Devices.

“Global demand for our robotic end-effectors continues to grow,” said ATI Chairman Keith Morris. “This latest major expansion, our second in just four years, will help us to meet the growing needs of our worldwide client base.”

Formed in 1989 by engineers Morris; Robert Little, CEO; and Dwayne Perry, Chief Sensor Technologist, ATI has grown from a small team with a tiny office in Garner, NC, to a global workforce of 300 employee-owners. The company’s corporate and manufacturing headquarters are located in Apex, NC, but ATI also has offices in Michigan, China, Mexico, and Brazil.

ATI Industrial Automation Apex, NCThe driving force behind its ATI’s growth is an expansive mechanical, electrical, and software engineering team alongside skilled support and manufacturing staff. The new addition will increase the size of the engineering, warehouse, and production floor areas, and will be staffed by 275 new employees. For ATI customers, the expansion means quicker turnaround of new designs, increased production capacities to keep lead times short, and more of the consistently exceptional service and support they depend on. The expansion gives way to a new engineering and robotic lab for creative development of superior end effectors.

ATI’s robotic end-effector products optimize industrial applications in fields such as Robotics, Aerospace, Biomedical, Automotive, Electronics, Applied Research, Academics, Nuclear and Government.

Little credits the company’s strong growth to the array of unique customer applications that ATI serves.

“This diversity in our customer base, coupled with our focus on engineering innovation and customer service, has allowed us to succeed despite a fluctuating global economy and lower-cost overseas competition,” said Little. “In fact, nearly 50 percent of our sales are exported to world markets. We’ve created 150 new jobs since 2012, and this new expansion will create an additional 275.”

ATI was selected for the Progressive Manufacturing 100 Award, which recognizes best-in-class manufacturers from the U.S. and abroad, in both 2009 and 2011. The company was also named to the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Program for North Carolina a record 10 times.

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