A manufacturer headquartered in Germany that selected Columbus as its only production facility in the United States is already looking ahead to the future.
The LINDAL Group showcased its 100,000-square-foot building on International Drive to more than 100 people Thursday, offering a glimpse into production, laboratory and office space throughout the complex. The company, which produces valves and actuators, serves customers in the personal care, home care, pharmaceutical, food and technical sectors.
LINDAL Group broke ground on the $20 million investment a year ago and has 15 acres designed for further expansion, said Jerry Miller, LINDAL North America technical manager.
“We’re ready for projects,” Miller said.
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LINDAL Group CEO Francois Xavier Gilbert said the company had looked at other potential locations for its facility in North America, but ultimately settled on Columbus because of its proximity to customers.
The company has created a 15-acre campus south of Deaver Road and east of County Road 300W in a new extension of the Woodside Northwest Industrial Park, he said.
The Columbus facility will have the best in class technical know-how and innovation capabilities, Gilbert said.
The new facility combined operations from LINDAL manufacturing and office buildings at 4775 and 4615 Progress Drive, and a warehouse in Hope, which had been operational since 2003.
“We anticipated the need for integrated and centrally located resources for our wide range of U.S. customers as demand here continues to grow,” Gilbert said. “Our new Columbus facility is another example of our strength as a customer-facing organization that speeds packaging development and delivers state of the art equipment.”
Visitors were granted an inside look at the production process.
The company produces 80,000 to 120,000 plastic caps for different industries on a daily basis, said Jay Bray, a moulding engineer at the company. Fifteen injection moulding machines melt plastic into a mold that can be made for customers’ needs, Bray said.
An actuator assembly station also highlighted the part commonly used in products such as Pledge, which is made by home products manufacturer SC Johnson.
“All of our machines in our facility are engineered and have a high quality output,” said Brian Emling, master scheduler at the facility.
The company produces more than 500 valves per minute for items such as antiperspirants, although volume can vary based on customer demand and machine capabilities, said Jesse Wilhite, LINDAL production manager.
“All of our machines vary depending on what we’re running,” Wilhite said.
Visitors also got a chance to see office space such as a conference room equipped with computers, a SmartBoard and cameras, which allows the company to interact directly with customers across the globe, Miller said.
Technology also allows the company to show parts it manufactures to customers it is working with as well, Miller said.
“It really speeds up conversations with development,” Miller said.
LINDAL Group is also focused on product performance and design while trying to be innovative, said Alex Piagnarelli, sales director for LINDAL North America.
“Our products find their way in every aerosol product you can think of,” Piagnarelli said, pointing to a wall filled with deodorants, cosmetic products and other items.
The facility also has a laboratory, allowing it to review samples and test proposals for different products through the development process with different companies.
LINDAL Group, which has locations through Europe and South America and a facility in Mexico, received a 10-year tax abatement from the city in December 2016 for its 100,000-square-foot building. Miller also said the company plans to add additional equipment at the site in 2019.
Jason Hester, president of the Greater Columbus Economic Development Corp., said he and Mayor Jim Lienhoop traveled to Germany to meet with company officials about a year and a half ago as part of an effort to promote what Columbus has to offer.
“We love helping companies grow,” Hester said. “We love when our existing companies expand. For LINDAL, it tackles the foreign investment part we’re known for.”
Hester also credited the work of the city in providing tax increment financing monies, which allowed the extension of International Drive to occur.
“It’s always very rewarding to see the work come to fruition,” Hester said.
Lienhoop also said he was pleased the LINDAL Group selected Columbus as its headquarters in North America, noting that the company could have chosen other locations.
“For them to choose us is very heartening,” Lienhoop said.
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”By the numbers” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
100,000: Total number of square feet in new LINDAL plant
80,000 to 120,000: Number of plastic caps facility produces daily using injection moulding machines
$20 million: Cost of investment made by LINDAL
80: Number of Columbus employees
15: Number of moulding machines
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LINDAL Group designs, manufactures and sells valves, actuators and spray caps used in aerosol products.
The Hamburg, Germany-based company has more than 50 years of experience with innovative dispensing solutions for the cosmetic, household, pharmaceutical, food and technical industries.
The company is represented by subsidiaries and licensees in more than 15 countries throughout Europe, Asia and The Americas.
For more, visit lindalgroup.com.
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