USA: Mitsubishi Electric has opened a new headquarters for its heating and cooling products in Atlanta, Georgia. The $30m facility will house sales and administrative offices, an engineering centre, training facilities and warehouse. At 550,000ft2, it is nearly twice the size of its previous premises.
Ductless air conditioning sales are expected to grow as US consumers become increasingly energy conscious. To better meet market needs and enhance operational efficiencies, Mitsubishi Electric has expanded warehouse space and placed several offices and its engineering centre under one roof at its new facility. Engineering functions also have been enhanced to develop and test products for US customers.
'We're investing in Georgia so we can be more competitive and quicker to market,' commented Kenichiro Yamanishi, president and CEO of Mitsubishi Electric Corporation. 'This warehouse will hold literally tons of product ready to ship anywhere in the Americas. Our engineering centre will host a wide depth of talent. Products designed and stored here will not only serve the US market but the global market as well.'
Mitsubishi Electric US Cooling & Heating Division plans to hire more than 100 engineers, warehouse workers and others locally over the next three years to add to its 300 US-wide employee base.
'In the 20 years we have called Gwinnett County home, we have outgrown four offices,' said Shuji Morisaki, senior vice president, general manager, Mitsubishi Electric US Cooling & Heating Division. 'Our Division has experienced double-digit growth over the past five years, and we fully expect this to continue moving forward. We're pleased to be in this spacious new location that accommodates our continuing expansion.'
The new headquarters is one of many key investments that Mitsubishi Electric Corporation has made in North America in recent years. Along with recently expanded manufacturing facilities in Memphis and Pittsburgh, the company will open its first North American hvac production facility in Mexico in October 2013 to serve the US and Latin American markets.