Yaskawa Motoman Celebrates 25th Anniversary
Launched with 59 employees as a niche player in North America, the company has grown into a leading force in the American robot industry.
Posted: August 19, 2014
The Motoman Robotics Division of Yaskawa America, Inc. (Miamisburg, OH), a leading robotics company in the Americas, celebrates its 25th anniversary this month. The company, previously known as Motoman Inc., was formally incorporated on July 18, 1989 as a 50/50 joint venture between Hobart Brothers Company and Yaskawa Electric America, and began operations as a stand-alone entity in August 1989.
The company was launched with 59 employees and was considered a niche player in North America. Within just a few years, Motoman was considered a leading force in the American robot industry.
In 1994, Motoman became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Yaskawa Electric Corporation (Kitakyushu, Japan), a worldwide leader in mechatronics and robots. The company has continued to expand its operations and product offerings and now has 11 facilities throughout the Americas, with nearly 600 employees and over 35,000 robots installed.
The keys to Yaskawa Motoman’s success include commitment to stellar customer satisfaction, focus on delivering innovative automation solutions, dedicated employees, strong suppliers and a committed parent company.
“The past few years, we’ve added new team members and completed our first acquisition, providing new capabilities and skills that will take us to the next level of technology and robotic solutions,” states Steve Barhorst, the company’s president and the chief operating officer. “Looking forward, we will continue to add new members to our growing team, and we are excited to see what the next 25 years will bring!”
Yaskawa Motoman, responsible for the Americas, is headquartered in Miamisburg in a 300,000 sq ft state-of-the-art facility. The 25-acre site allows for an additional 200,000 sq ft building expansion.
The company has increased employment in the Dayton, OH, area by approximately 35 percent since 2011 and continues to actively recruit additional employees to support its current growth. It is also committed to supporting the nation’s STEM initiatives and promoting the use of robotics for education and workforce development.
Additional facilities are located in Rochester Hills, MI; Irvine, CA; Austin, TX; Canada (Mississauga, Ontario and Pointe Claire, Quebec); Mexico (Aguascalientes, Monterrey and Queretaro); and Brazil (Diadema – São Paulo).
The company will hold an internal celebration with employees to recognize their 25-year anniversary. Plans are underway to participate in Yaskawa’s 100-year global celebration in 2015, including an open house and customer appreciation events.
Yaskawa is globally recognized for innovative technology and quality products, and holds the position as the world’s largest manufacturer of AC drives, motion control products and industrial robots. Production and distribution facilities are located in 28 countries.
As a total business solution company, Yaskawa provides motion control, robotics, system engineering and information technologies. The company has also expanded into the environment and energy domain, as well as robotic/human co-existence for the service market. Currently it has focused R&D efforts on several rehabilitation devices, and has established a strategic partnership with Argo Medical Technologies for specific efforts in medical/nursing care equipment.
With nearly 300,000 Motoman® robots installed globally, Yaskawa provides automation products and solutions for virtually every industry and robotic application; including arc welding, assembly, coating, dispensing, material handling, material cutting, material removal, packaging, palletizing and spot welding.
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