Expansions: Control Microsystems, Rexroth, Schneider Electric, Yokogawa

Multiple companies in automation, controls, and instrumentation announced expansion-related news recently, including Control Microsystems, Rexroth, Schneider Electric, and Yokogawa. Expansions may translate into better services and more or broader product development for customers.

By Control Engineering Staff October 8, 2007

Multiple companies in automation, controls, and instrumentation announced expansion-related news recently, including Control Microsystems, Rexroth, Schneider Electric, and Yokogawa. Expansions may translate into better services and more or broader product development for customers.

Click the following headlines to skip to each story, or scroll down to see them all.- Bosch Rexroth’s party marks 40 years of U.S. growth – Control Microsystems opens Denver headquarters – Schneider Electric to launch automation and control center – Yokogawa celebrates Canadian grand opening

Bosch Rexroth’s party marks 40 years of U.S. growth Bethlehem, PA —

Bosch Rexroth Corp

. marked 40 years of operation and expansion in the U.S. with an anniversary party at its industrial hydraulics facility in Bethlehem, PA, last month. Current and retired employees, senior management, and business partners attended the celebration, the first in a series of events at Rexroth locations nationwide to mark the anniversary.

The company, which launched U.S. operations in 1967 as Rexroth Corp., with three employees and a small sales office in Easton, PA, has expanded to dozens of locations across the country. With U.S. headquarters in Hoffman Estates, IL, the company employs nearly 3,300 people in the Americas; annual North American sales exceeded $1 billion last year.

The anniversary event included a company historical video narrated by president and CEO Berend Bracht, and a presentation of awards to employees with 30 or more years of service with the company. The theme, “40 years of success – 40 years of Rexroth in the USA,” pays tribute to Rexroth employees past and present.

“We owe our success and thanks to the employees, distributors and customers of Bosch Rexroth,” said Bracht. “While mergers, acquisitions, and new products and technologies have helped shape our company into a thriving enterprise, that transformation required much hard work from thousands of dedicated employees over the years. The level of dedication and expertise that we have shown as a team is unmatched in our industry.” Throughout the company’s growth, Rexroth’s technologies and engineering expertise were showcased in several landmark projects and applications, from upgrading the Panama Canal locks with new hydraulic systems to providing drive and control technology for the entertainment industry including movies such as Spiderman, Titanic, and Jurassic Park .

In 2001, Mannesman Rexroth merged with Bosch Automation Technology to become Bosch Rexroth Corp., part of the Robert Bosch Group of companies. Bosch Rexroth is a supplier of components and systems for industrial and factory automation and mobile applications.

Control Microsystems opens Denver headquarters Denver, CO —

Control Microsystems (CMI)

, a global supplier of automation products for the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) market, announced the opening of its U.S. headquarters in Denver, CO. The office will handle U.S. sales activities, including management of more than 30 product representative channels across the country.

“This represents the tip of the iceberg when it comes to increasing customer services in the U.S.,” said Dana Krause, Control Microsystems president. “The U.S. market has proven to be very loyal to our brands, and our growth across all SCADA sectors has proven the need for U.S.-based management, support, and physical resources.”

Located in the Cherry Creek district near downtown, the new offices feature a modern training facility. Beginning next month, CMI will offer classes on all product lines, including SCADAPack controllers, ClearSCADA Host software, and RealFLO electronic flow measurement. The facility will be equipped with hands-on stations in an environment optimized for demonstrating all the company’s products.

“CMI has a long history in the U.S., and a great track record as a leader in customer service,” said Jeff Altman, vice president of U.S. sales. “With the new U.S. headquarters, and the experienced team supporting it, we are substantially ratcheting up our commitment to our U.S. customers.”

CMI has also established a dedicated ClearSCADA sales team. The Denver-based group will include Eric Schwantler, the current ClearSCADA product manager, who is relocating from the company’s offices in Newcastle, Australia. The team will include sales support personnel to perform technical support, application engineering, and product training.

This is the company’s first U.S. headquarters, though it has had sales offices in Houston, TX; Miami, FL; Los Angeles, CA; and Birmingham, AL.

The company says that in 2005, the ARC Advisory Group report on the SCADA industry listed Serck Controls as the largest SCADA company in the world. In 2006 Serck purchased Control Microsystems and made it the SCADA products company for all the Serck and Control Microsystems products, Serck remained a services company. In 2007 Serck changed its name to the SCADA Group and added another company to the fold, Trio Datacom. With the success of the past two years, the company told Control Engineering , and the merging of all these company’s together there is no doubt that Control Microsystems is the largest remaining private SCADA products company, and the SCADA Group is the largest private SCADA group of companies.

Schneider Electric to launch automation and control center Palatine, IL —

Schneider Electric North American Operating Division

plans a grand opening of its Automation and Control Innovation Center in Raleigh, NC, on Friday, Oct. 26, 2007. The hands-on demonstration center will showcase Schneider Electric’s total automation and control solutions for OEM and end-user customers.

“The Automation and Control Innovation Center is the first of three Schneider Electric Innovation Centers that will open throughout the country,” said Andy Gravitt, vice president, industrial automation and control, Schneider Electric North American Operating Division. “The center in Raleigh is unique in that it will be the only one focused entirely on automation and control solutions. It will showcase the innovation, knowledge and industry-leading technology that defines Schneider Electric… Our people not only understand the specific products and applications for using automation and controls technology, but use their breadth of experience to deliver total solutions for the challenges that customers face.”

The company says it’s using state-of-the-art technology to customize the center to showcase specific solutions appropriate to customer needs and challenges in eight industries: HVAC, pump, semiconductor, transportation wash, packaging, conveyance, automotive, and crane and hoist. Visitors will experience individually tailored, live demonstrations to show how the company’s technology, knowledge and products can solve specific problems.

The new center will be located in the same facility as the engineers who work on customer projects and will provide a collaborative environment to work with customers. The process of project management, from inception to implementation, will be under one roof.

To celebrate the launch of the center, Gravitt; Dave Petratis, president and CEO, Schneider Electric North American Operating Division; Chris Curtis, president, Schneider Electric USA; and executives and special guests will be on hand for the companywide grand opening. The event will include a “flip the switch” ceremony, luncheon, and tour of the center and Raleigh facility.

Yokogawa celebrates Canadian grand opening Calgary, Alberta, Canada —

Yokogawa Canada Inc

. held the grand opening of its new 25,000 square-foot building last month with more than 300 customers from the area.

“North America has more untapped oil and gas than any other place in the world,” said Con Lau, general manager, marketing, Yokogawa Corporation of America. “That means a tremendous potential for growth for everyone involved in the industry. The opening of this new facility proves that Yokogawa is in Canada to stay and places us in a strategic location to better serve our customers.”

Control Engineering News Desk( Register here and scroll down to select your choice of eNewsletters free .)