Sorma USA, a division of The Sorma Group of Italy, has decided to put down roots in Visalia California. Visalia is an ideal location for the company which manufactures packaging and palletizing lines for the fresh fruit and vegetable industries.
"We want to be close to our customers, even at the expense of higher costs," explained CEO Marco Bini. "We recognize how important it is to be at the center of the prominent agricultural area in the world, a modern system that requires fast response and a great level of service."
Bini sees the California location as an opportunity that "will allow us cut the carbon footprint of our manufacturing and delivery system. And it will create savings to our customers."
The facility, which opens in October, will print packaging material and assemble machinery that will serve not only the U.S. market but also Canada and Mexico.
Another advantage to this location was the availably of skilled labor, Bini explained. But he wants to push further in the area of talent. As part of its commitment to the community, the company has established Sorma Academy, a training lab designed to help develop the local talent.
"We want to able to educate our people to a level of excellence and dedication that will make them attractive to our customers. We want to teach our people those skills that make a great technician: patience, dedication, empathy, technical skills, honesty, hard work, precision. Ultimately, we want our customers to hire away from us highly skilled technicians that will help them better run their business in a region where engineering skills have been lost due to de-industrialization. This is the objective of the Sorma Academy."
The company also has manufacturing plants in Italy, Germany, France, Spain and Turkey.
