Refitted robotics facility opens in Michigan

Figure 1: Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer (from left) meets John Bubnikovich, ABB United States Robotics Division president, and Sami Atiya, president of ABB’s Robotics and Discrete Automation.

ABB opened its refitted U.S. robotics headquarters and manufacturing facility in Auburn Hills, Michigan, which will support ABB Robotics’ global leadership in developing and manufacturing robotic products for the Americas. ABB expects long-term growth in the United States market to follow its predicted global growth rates for robotics of 8% CAGR.

This is ABB’s third global robotics factory expansion in three years across China, Europe and the Americas and is part of its efforts to further strengthen its local-for-local footprint.

“The opening of our refitted state-of-the-art U.S. robotics headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan is a significant part of our global growth story, reaffirming our commitment to industry leadership in the US,” said Sami Atiya, president of ABB’s Robotics and Discrete Automation Business Area (Figure 1). “Robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) are essential tools for companies in addressing critical labor shortages, localized supply chains and the need to operate more sustainably. The advances in AI-driven software and hardware make our robots more accessible to a wider range of businesses, enabling them to increase resilience and become more competitive. America is now the world’s second largest robotics market, and our production facility will help ABB support existing customers as well as new growth sectors across the United States and the Americas region.”

Figure 2: Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer toured the ABB Robotics facility with Marc Segura, president, ABB Robotics Division (from left), John Bubnikovich, ABB United States Robotics Division president, and Sami Atiya, president of ABB’s Robotics and Discrete Automation.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer expects ABB’s $20 million investment in Auburn Hills to create more than 70 good-paying, high-skill jobs and contribute to Michigan’s advanced manufacturing efforts (Figure 2). “Around the world, ABB’s technology supports the production of electric vehicles, medical devices, electronics and even pastries,” said Whitmer. “Expansion at their robotics headquarters will tighten the supply chain and cut down on production delays, while building on ABB’s long-standing investments in local workforce development and hands-on education.”

With a 30% increase in facility space, the new Auburn Hills facility is designed to enhance ABB’s ability to serve as a strategic robotics partner for its customer base.

Through the new Customer Experience Center, ABB plans to showcase its hardware and software, demonstrating digital and AI-powered automation technologies with customers, and developing and manufacturing next-generation robots.

The expanded facility will support ABB Robotics’ specialist centers including:

Packaging and Logistics hub in Atlanta
Life Sciences and Healthcare hub at the Texas Medical Center in Houston
AI Research Lab in San Jose, California.

Complete with a new training center, the facility can educate more than 3,000 workers and students each year.

“Through our expanded facility, partner ecosystem and comprehensive AI-enabled product portfolio, we are pushing the boundaries of technology to drive performance to new levels,” said John Bubnikovich, ABB United States Robotics Division president. “We look forward to increasing support for our customers, to expanding our role as an employer and to energizing the transformation of society and industry to achieve a more productive, sustainable future.”

The expansion is supported by a $450,000 Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant. ABB will provide upskilling and career opportunities to train workers with no prior experience or degree with the skills needed to build a successful career in the robotics and automation industry. The investment in Auburn Hills is part of the approximately $170 million that ABB is investing in its electrification and automation businesses across the United States.