Thomson Industries is moving its Kristianstad, Sweden, operations into a larger space to make room for new equipment that will bring outsourced operations in-house to meet growing demand for its motion-control technology.
Located less than a mile northeast of the original site, the production plant spans around 110,000 sq ft. This footprint is designed to enable Thomson to consolidate operations that it had previously housed in three separate buildings.
“We can now configure goods receiving, production, packing and shipping in an optimized, streamlined workflow, including warehouse, maintenance, technical lab and offices all in the same building,” said Peter Swahn, site manager, Thomson Industries. “We can also integrate better vertically, having room to bring in machinery for operations we have previously outsourced.”
The Kristianstad plant has been a steadily growing supplier of Thomson electric linear actuators and linear motion systems to European customers and Thomson believes it is on track for further growth. The new facility is larger, more advanced and is planned to effectively support future business growth.
“Strict adherence to safety, quality, delivery, inventory management and productivity excellence has fueled our success, so much so that we have outgrown our facilities,” said Swahn. “It would have been impossible to add new product lines or production capacity in our original location without jeopardizing the fundamentals that got us here.”
Thomson's business in Kristianstad has experienced steady growth since its inception in 1985 with 25 employees. The company’s growth has been driven by increasing adoption of its electric actuators by industrial users transitioning away from hydraulic cylinders, as well as the overarching trends toward automation to improve human lives, according to Thomson.
In addition to being able to handle more business, the new facility will offer improved amenities for employees, including electric charger-equipped parking and expanded areas for dining and personal lockers. The move began in April with full production expected to be in the new space by summer of 2023.
