News

ZIEHL-- ABEGG TO BEGIN FAN MANUFACTURING IN GREENSBORO AND HIRE MORE WORKERS

Contact: RoBurchette@gtcc.edu (Released 9/06/11)

GREENSBORO - Ziehl-Abegg Inc, which has had a distribution warehouse for its industrial electric fans and motors in Greensboro since 2004, will begin building the fans here in November instead of importing them from Germany, according to Mirco Herrmann, managing director of the company's operation in North America and Mexico.

The new venture involves hiring  approximately 52 workers, which will include welders, machine operators, assembly line employees, engineers and administrative staff, Herrmann said. Three of the workers have been hired and the remainder will be hired starting in 2012, he said. Ziehl-Abegg already has 21 employees in its Greensboro operation, he said.

The company plans on moving its operation from 6348 Burnt Popular Road to 719 Regional Road where there also will be additional floor space for the manufacturing operation, Herrmann said.  There will be about 35,000 square feet devoted to the production of fans that will be distributed throughout North America.

The company has been manufacturing fans in Germany for 101 years and distributing them around the world, Herrmann said. The Greensboro operation is being expanded  because "we would like to bring the value of adding to the United States, and also be closer to the market," Herrmann said. Ziehl-Abegg employs about 2,900 employees worldwide, he said.
Applications for jobs in Greensboro are available on-line at Careers@Ziehl-Abegg.US.
Herrmann came to Greensboro in April 2009 after having worked for the company in several regions of the world such as South Africa and India.

Ziehl-Abegg fans are for applications like air-conditioning for large buildings, and also are in demand because of their ability to efficiently speed control fans, Herrmann said. The company's motors also are used for elevators and escalators.
The latest worker hired for the Greensboro operation is Stephen Carr, 20, of Kernersville, a welder who trained at Guilford Technical Community College. Herrmann said that Randy Owens, department chair for Welding Technology, offered some suggestions concerning setup of the new plant. Owens also recommended Carr and other candidates of the GTCC program for the welding position at the company.

Carr spent two weeks in Germany in July training with Ziehl-Abegg workers. Carr said the experience was helpful, and that working as a welder "keeps you constantly challenged."   Building fans appeals to him because he likes "doing mechanical things," Carr said.

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