Stäubli Group, a Swiss maker of highly sophisticated robots and other mechanical systems, has opened an office in Cypress to support accelerated growth in North America.
“We want to get closer to our customers in Southern California,” said Ian Pratt, a divisional North America managing director based in Windsor, Calif., who is also managing the Cypress location.
Three of Stäubli’s four divisions are represented in Cypress: electrical connectors, fluid connectors and robotics.
The staff in the 5,500-square-foot office at 11105 Knott Ave. will bulk up to 15 to 20 people, including customer service representatives, training personnel and service technicians, all supporting customers in Southern California.
Stäubli, which first set up shop in the U.S. 70 years ago, is a global company serving customers that aim to increase their productivity in many industrial sectors.
Robot Use
“For the robotics side, we’re really focusing on food processing companies,” Pratt told the Business Journal on March 21.
Pratt said the company’s robots are used for food processing and packaging, where there are “highly repetitive” activities.
He says, for example, that ultra-precise wafer production in the IT realm is also well suited for a Stäubli robot.
“Especially on the robotics side, we fit a niche that really doesn’t lend itself to humans,” according to Pratt.
He added that the company’s electrical products are used in aerospace and military endeavors.
Pratt says the OC staff “will be new hires” with about four people already working there now.
Technically, the company’s specialties include “mechatronics,” which Pratt describes as “a mechanical system that has automatic controls in it to make it do its job.”
“We see great value in this new facility in Cypress to expand the reach of our North American base, particularly in terms of training, spare parts availability as well as physical proximity to customers,” Jean-François Masbou, another Stäubli North America managing director, said during the office opening on March 6.
SoCal Customers
The company also cites the closeness to trade show centers and three airports—including LAX—as advantages of the Cypress site.
“With the location in Cypress, we want to maintain our partnerships with existing customers here in this area, but also attract potential customers with our innovative solutions and local support,” said Gerald Vogt, CEO of the Stäubli Group.
Stäubli currently operates in 29 countries, with agents in 50 countries on four continents, with a global workforce of 5,700.
Pratt calls the Cypress location “a little nicer” than other potential cities he was looking at in the area, while the site fits the idea of what the Swiss company is looking for.
“It’s a good fit,” Pratt says.
Yet, while one tech company is moving into Cypress, another is heading out.
Electric truck maker Nikola Corp. (Nasdaq: NKLA) said the move of its battery manufacturing site from Orange County to Coolidge, Ariz., is expected to be completed this month, ahead of the initial schedule of July.
The halt to battery making at the Cypress site is expected to affect hundreds of jobs, though the exact number has not been released.
