Expansion Management

Italy’s Bonfiglioli to Expand in Kentucky

June 27, 2014

The expansion will include the progressive addition of new production lines of planetary gearboxes for mobile machinery to support the construction, mining, agricultural and forestry industries.

Adrienne Selko

Bonfiglioli, USA, announced earlier this week that it will expanding its Hebron, KY operations in Q4 2014.

The company, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bonfiglioli Riduttori S.p.A. based in Bologna, Italy, manufactures power transmission for mobile and self-propelled machines.

The expansion will include the progressive addition of new production lines of planetary gearboxes for mobile machinery to support the construction, mining, agricultural and forestry industries.

The Hebron production line will be the first line of manufacturing in the U.S. for Bonfiglioli and will increase the company’s annual capacity of planetary gearboxes by about 24,000 units in the first year to better serve the demand for these gearboxes in the U.S. market.

The initial production will be dedicated to the 700C series drives for compact construction equipment, with additional production lines of wheel drives for construction and agricultural equipment planned over the next two to five years.

The Hebron facility will also integrate a state-of-the-art quality lab for testing equipment throughout the assembly process, with multiple quality checks and controls performed.

About the Author

Adrienne Selko | Senior Editor

Focus: Workforce, Talent

Follow Me on Twitter: @ASelkoIW

Bio: Adrienne Selko has written about many topics over the 17 years she has been with the publication and currently focuses on workforce development strategies. Previously Adrienne was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck? which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics and EHS Today.

Editorial mission statement: Manufacturing is the enviable position of creating products, processes and policies that solve the world’s problems. When the industry stepped up to manufacture what was necessary to combat the pandemic, it revealed its true nature. My goal is to showcase the sector’s ability to address a broad range of workforce issues including technology, training, diversity & inclusion, with a goal of enticing future generations to join this amazing sector.

Why I find manufacturing interesting: On my first day working for a company that made medical equipment such as MRIs, I toured the plant floor. On every wall was a photo of a person, mostly children. I asked my supervisor why this was the case and he said that the work we do at this company has saved these people’s lives. “We never forget how important our work is and everyone’s contribution to that.” From that moment on I was hooked on manufacturing.

I have talked with many people in this field who have transformed their own career development to assist others. For example, companies are hiring those with disabilities, those previously incarcerated and other talent pools that have been underutilized. I have talked with leaders who have brought out the best in their workforce, as well as employees doing their best work while doing good for the world.