SICK, Inc. expands and consolidates its Minnesota locations into a single campus in thriving part of Bloomington near the Mall of America and MSP International Airport
MINNEAPOLIS, MINN., JULY 19, 2021 – SICK officially broke ground on July 15, 2021 on its new campus that will serve as the company’s North American Headquarters.
“SICK has grown steadily since the company was founded, and our current facilities have reached their limits,” said Marty Greimel, CEO of SICK Product & Competence Center Americas (PCA). “Not only have we grown in company size, but we’ve also grown in our technical proficiencies and sensor offerings. This new campus will enable us to provide even better service to our customers as we continue to expand our advanced engineering, production, and logistics capabilities.”
About SICK
SICK is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of sensors, safety systems, machine vision, encoders, and automatic identification products for industrial applications. In addition, SICK provides comprehensive service and support for sensor solutions. Founded in 1946, SICK has operations or representation in 65 countries with more than 10,000 employees worldwide. Its global corporate headquarters are located in Waldkirch, Germany.
With the rise of smart manufacturing and logistics, SICK has a continued focus on supporting the development of autonomous mobile robots and other robotic solutions. This is supported by top-notch safety sensors and intelligent software. The company’s continued role in the digital transformation within the industrial automation industry has made a profound impact on various industries like retail, material handling, consumer goods, automotive, packaging, electronics & solar, process automation, and more. Sensor intelligence plays a big role in these industries concerned about a customer-centric, dynamic, and connected approach to digital transformation.
With a bright future ahead as a company, SICK has a history of continued business strength and growth. Since 1976, SICK has been an engaged and robust member of the local Minnesota business community. In addition, SICK is an active member in the local community, including engagements with nonprofits like St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, charity:water, and Second Harvest Heartland.
“The new North American Campus marks an exciting time in the development and continuous growth at SICK,” said Tony Peet, CEO of SICK, Inc. “It ensures we will have adequate room for future growth and enables synergies and efficiencies by combining all functions for production, administration, logistics, and labs into one primary location. This will provide a solid foundation and help propel our future growth as a technology company in the industrial automation market.”
North American Campus Details
Located in a prime location near the Mall of America and the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, this world-class campus will allow SICK to continue to build a productive, collaborative workforce within Minnesota and showcase its capabilities for future growth. As a global leader in sensor technology, the expansion of SICK enables the creation of more high-quality jobs in the technology and manufacturing sectors.
Currently in Minnesota, SICK has locations in West Bloomington and Savage. Both are near or beyond capacity and cannot accommodate expansion. In addition, SICK has additional locations in North America in Boston, Houston, Detroit, San Francisco, Toronto, and Calgary.
The move to a new campus will be a multi-year, multi-phase project. The first phase of the project will be the construction of a 138,000 square foot facility for production and logistics to be completed in summer 2022. It will contain SICK’s sensor production facilities to expand and grow its local US production of sensor technology. In total, the new campus will provide 40% more square footage for production. Support and assistance from local partners at the City of Bloomington and the State of Minnesota have enabled SICK to break ground on this project.
The second phase will be a 144,000 square foot office complex completed by the year 2026, which will include office space and parking for all employees based in Minnesota. The office space will comprise of employees in sales, product management, customer care, service, and additional support functions. In addition, the new office space will accommodate additional sensor labs for research and development of new technology. With a strong focus on smart manufacturing and industry 4.0, SICK’s new campus will include a new Industry 4.0 Competence Lab to encourage future developments in this area.
Once completed, the entire campus will include office space, production and manufacturing, warehousing, parking ramps, and space for future expansion of all functions. Future expansions would take place over the course of the next 15 years and could include additional 200,000 square feet for production, warehouse, and offices.
Aligning with SICK’s mission to focus on sustainable and environmentally friendly practices, SICK’s new campus will also incorporate a number of green initiatives. These include solar infrastructure, electrical vehicle charging stations, high efficiency mechanical systems, and a below-grade rainwater filtration system.