RND Automation Expands, Upgrades Facilities

Jan. 9, 2014
Robotics Equipment Manufacturer Moves to South Manatee County, Fla. to Accommodate Additional High-Tech Equipment

Robotics equipment manufacturer, RND Automation, has doubled its footprint in manufacturing, requiring the company to expand its facilities into a new location in Southwest Florida.

The Bradenton Area Economic Development Corporation (EDC) helped RND find a 12,000-ft.² building in SRQ Tech Park in south Manatee County, Fla., that will allow the company to accommodate equipment growth.

"RND Automation has been growing rapidly in the Bradenton-Sarasota region, and needs to expand and upgrade its facility to accommodate additional high-tech equipment," said Sharon Hillstrom, chief executive officer of the Bradenton Area EDC. "The EDCs in the two counties worked with the company to help RND find a larger home in our region to retain the technical expertise that local manufacturers need, as well as the quality jobs RND provides."

The Manatee County commissioners approved up to $8,000 in performance-based incentives for eight jobs RND plans to add. The company currently has 12 employees engineering, designing and manufacturing custom automation equipment.

"The demand for automation in manufacturing has grown exponentially in the last several years," said Sean Dotson, RND president. "RND is one of only two automation companies in Florida. Many of our customers are located in west central Florida, which is a hub for industrial machinery and clean manufacturing, A Bradenton area location places us near the many purchasers of automation who see local support as a major benefit."