Intelligrated opened its new headquarters and assembly operation in Mason late last year. The start-up company manufactures material handling systems.

Start-Up Industrial Firm
Taps Cincy Area For HQ

Two long-time Cincinnati-area executives in the materials handling business chose a northern suburb of the city for the headquarters of their ambitious new company. Intelligrated Inc., a supplier of integrated material handling systems, services and products, moved into its new headquarters in Mason late last year. The 143,000-sq.-ft. (13,284-sq.-m.) facility houses corporate offices, research and development and manufacturing.
        Intelligrated is the brainchild of CEO Chris Cole and President and COO Jim McCarthy, who developed an investment plan for the company two years ago. Securing financial backing from Gryphon Investors Inc. of San Francisco, the two formed Intelligrated to focus on development of conveyor systems and sortation equipment.

Intelligrated's new headquarters in Mason also includes a large demonstration area for customers. The company is targeting the distribution center market for its material handling and high-speed sortation systems.

        John Cullen, Intelligrated's vice president of marketing, says the company's founders wanted to stay in the Cincinnati area and build a new facility large enough to accommodate their goal of becoming a $300-million company within five years.
        "They wanted a building that would house corporate offices and our assembly operation with room for growth," Cullen says. "They also knew of a number of people in the area with technical expertise that they wanted to hire."
        Close to Interstate 71, which offers quick access to Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, the new building has logi stic advantages. This is especially critical to Intelligrated since the new facility contains a demonstration area for customers.
        "We have customers coming in from all over the country," Cullen says. "Access to airports and motorways is important."
        In addition to the new facility, Intelligrated bought an existing manufacturing operation, Versa Conveyors, in London, just southwest of Columbus. The Mason location is just a 90-minute ride from that plant.
        Both the headquarters location and the Versa plant have plenty of room for expansion as the fledgling company ramps up production. Cullen says the Versa plant fits Intelligrated's requirements for process flow. It also has nearly 100 doors on its loading dock. Intelligrated's market focus is on large retail distribution centers with high-speed sortation requirements.
        Current customers include a wholesale pharmaceutical manufacturer. Intelligrated currently employs about 200 at the two locations, but may eventually increase to about 340.
        While the Versa operation is currently at 30-percent capacity, having room to grow is critical, Cullen says.

Pacific Manufacturing Ohio, a subsidiary of a Japanese firm, has completed a $20-million expansion of its plant in Fairfield. The company is a supplier to the automotive industry.

        "Distribution centers can involve conveyor systems with investments of $5 million to $7 million," he says. "In winning new contracts, we can have a dramatic increase in business overnight."
        Other recent Cincinnati-area projects involve two Japanese companies in Fairfield. Located adjacent to each other, both supply the automotive industry.
        Pacific Manufacturing Ohio Inc., a subsidiary of Pacific Industrial Co. Ltd. in Ogaki, Japan, has completed a $20-million, 180,000-sq.-ft. (16,700-sq.-m.) expansion of its facility, which produces metal stamping parts for automakers, including Toyota. The project will create 100 new jobs.
        Takumi Stamping, a joint venture between Pacific Industrial and Takagi Mfg. Co. Ltd. of Nagoya, Japan, has completed construction of its first U.S. facility. The $9-million, 70,000-sq.-ft. (6,500-sq.-m.) plant employs 40.
        Valeo Climate Control, another auto industry supplier in the region, is expanding its plant in Hamilton. The $4-million project will add 75 jobs to the facility, which supplies heating and air conditioning systems and other equipment to DaimlerChrysler and other automakers.