Sumitomo Machinery Corporation of America (SMA), U.S. headquarters for Sumitomo Drive Technologies, was excited to host an open house on Friday, April 19th celebrating completion of Phase I of the company’s Cyclo® Bevel Buddybox® (Cyclo® BBB) Domestic Manufacturing Initiative. As part of a 2015 Manufacturing Vision, the company committed to increasing bevel gear manufacturing capabilities in response to an expanding market along with the need for shorter lead times and competitive costs. This event commemorated SMA’s successful accomplishment of their Phase I milestones, which included the implementation of gear machining equipment, vertical milling machines and a hollow shaft machine; generation of bevel gears; installation of new assembly lines for the Cyclo® BBB 4 and 5 Series products launched in 2012; and the opening of a centralized distribution center.
The open house offered Sumitomo’s North and South American Sales Teams, as well as local employees and invited guests, a chance to see the transformation taking place as the company expands its manufacturing capabilities at the 250,000 square foot facility located in Chesapeake’s Cavalier Industrial Park. Invitees included state and local government officials, as well as key Sumitomo vendors. Mike Lulofs, SMA Human Resources Director acted as emcee for the event, and speakers were Carrie Roth, Commonwealth of Virginia Deputy Secretary of Commerce and Trade; Alan P. Krasnoff, Chesapeake City Mayor; and Ronald J. Smith, SMA President and CEO. Activities included a luncheon, followed by a guided factory tour with video presentations highlighting SMA’s manufacturing/assembly processes. The factory tour also recognized Sumitomo vendors, Toshiba, Lovejoy, Altra Industrial Motion Formsprag, Fastenal, Gleason, Mitutoyo, Orion/Southpoint Solutions, Peaklogix, and Safety Kleen, for sponsoring the event.
For more information, visit www.sumitomodrive.com.
