Festo, a manufacturer of pneumatic and electromechanical systems, components and controls for process and industrial automation, will close its Appleton, Wisconsin, center and move custom assembly and kitting services to a larger facility in Mason, Ohio. The move places customer services within a few miles of the parts and logistics resources of the Festo North American service center. The new customer center will provide customized products to the company’s North American customers.

The 15,000-square-foot facility will be located about five miles from the parts and distribution resources of the regional service center. The new facility will consist of present employees and new hires and is expected to open in September. It will be the newest of the company’s five North American custom solutions locations and will support customers with customized multi-axis systems and components, assembly and kitting services and pre-assembled control cabinets. According to Festo, turnaround and delivery of customized products will be augmented by the proximity of the facilities.

In 2016, Festo moved its distribution and assembly operations from Hauppauge, New York, to a 230,000-square-foot service center in Mason, Ohio, to create a more centrally located distribution hub. The regional center serves customers in the United States, Canada and Mexico and is comprised of logistics, production, purchasing and engineering. Festo employs to date almost 180 employees in Mason and is targeting 250 employees by end of 2018.