New Rattunde facility underway in Caledonia Township, MI, near Grand Rapids is due to open April 2014. The 30,000 sq. ft. facility will initially house tooling and component manufacturing, and then expand to 100,000 sq. ft. for full finished length tube and solid bar production systems.
Rattunde Corporation, a German-based manufacturer of finished length tube and solid bar production systems, has been operating in the North American market for over seven years. The company's success during that time has resulted in a recent announcement by Rattunde Corporation President Richard Stadler of plans to build a 30,000 sq. ft. facility near the company's current location in Grand Rapids, MI. Fourteen acres of land have been purchased by the company in nearby Caledonia Township and work has begun on the new facility, scheduled to open April 2014.
The plant will continue to house the North American sales and service operations and will allow for expanded spare parts inventory and manufacturing operations, including the production of tooling and various machine components. Area within the new facility will also house a technical center with a machine onsite at all times for demonstration and training. Future plans call for an expansion of the building to over 100,000 sq. ft., enabling Rattunde to produce its entire finished length tube and solid bar production systems there.
This decision was reached after an analysis of the current and anticipated business needs of the company, according to Stadler. "Our growth in North America has been rapid, though not unexpected, due to the unique nature of our equipment and the reliability and performance characteristics of our machines," said Stadler. "The solid growth of the company into diverse markets throughout North America made the new facility a logical choice.
"There were several reasons why we wanted to remain in the greater Grand Rapids area, but one of the main reasons is the excellent talent base here. Companies are built on people and, whether you are looking for an experienced veteran of industry or a fresh graduate from one of our ranking high schools, colleges or universities, outstanding people can be found here."
Concurrent with this development, Rattunde has expanded its workforce with technical service and administrative personnel. "Whenever a machinery company grows quickly, there is an ever-present need for more customer service and technical personnel," said Stadler. "Of course, new people must be found and trained. But, rapid growth also means working smarter. Rather than waiting for a customer to reach out to Rattunde in a time of need, Rattunde is proactively sending technicians to the customer and performing comprehensive machine inspections, identifying and correcting small issues before they become large ones."
Rattunde will continue to occupy its current facility until completion of the new facility.
For more information contact:
Rattunde Corporation
4980 Kendrick Street SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49512
616-940-3340
company@rattunde-corp.com
www.rattunde-corp.com