Swiss Manufacturer to Invest $62M in First US Hub

By Laura Calugar

Oerlikon’s headquarters in Pfaeffikon, Switzerland

Huntersville, N.C.—Swiss-based global technology group Oerlikon will invest $62 million to establish a manufacturing hub in Huntersville, N.C., about 12 miles north of uptown Charlotte. The company intends to create 93 new jobs by 2022, including engineers, R&D staff and craftsmen. Oerlikon’s Charlotte facility will be the company’s first additive manufacturing facility in the U.S. and will provide advanced component manufacturing. Moreover, the facility will house extensive research, development and production teams.

“This investment in North Carolina marks an important step in our plans to become a leading service provider for the fast-expanding additive manufacturing market,” said Roland Fischer, Oerlikon’s CEO, in a prepared statement.

Oerlikon has 13,500 employees in more than 170 locations in 37 countries. The company serves customers in the automotive, aerospace, energy, medical and other industries.

Helping facilitate Oerlikon’s arrival in North Carolina was a performance-based grant of up to $1 million from the One North Carolina Fund. In addition to North Carolina Commerce and EDPNC, other partners in the project include the North Carolina General Assembly, the North Carolina Community College System, Mecklenburg County, the Town of Huntersville, the Charlotte Regional Partnership, the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce and the Lake Norman Economic Development Corporation.

Image courtesy of Oerlikon