Zeiss to build state-of-the-art facility near Detroit

With the official groundbreaking, Zeiss has started the construction of a new, modern site outside of Detroit, Michigan.

The new facility for the Industrial Quality and Research (IQR) segment of Zeiss, represented in the USA by Carl Zeiss Industrial Metrology LLC, will consolidate four existing Michigan facilities into one location and provide room for business growth. It will contain a customer demonstration area with new technologies and systems, offer training, support and metrology services, and house fixture system production and assembly.

The new center will provide a broad portfolio of dimensional metrology and inspection equipment and services to a wide variety of industries including: automotive, medical, aerospace, defense, machine tools and general manufacturing job shops. With almost 170 employees, the center will span more than 82,800 ft² (7,700 m²) with two floors and is expected to open in 2020.

"We are investing over $45 million in the Detroit metro region to strengthen and increase our engagement in this global automotive and smart factory hot spot. This will not only have a strong, positive impact for our customers and partners in North America but will also generate new momentum for the whole Industrial Quality and Research segment of Zeiss worldwide," says Dr. Jochen Peter, Executive Board member of the Zeiss Group and head of the Industrial Quality and Research segment.

"With the new Zeiss Center in Michigan, we aim to assure a higher level of satisfaction with our solutions for our customers and provide a more attractive working environment for our team," explains Michael Kirchner, member of the leadership team for the Zeiss Industrial Quality Solutions strategic business unit and head of its North American business.

Zeiss measuring specialists will be able to perform proof-of-capability demonstrations for multidimensional measurement equipment, surface form and geometry equipment, and non-destructive testing and surface defect detection equipment. The need to show how digital platforms and solutions that connect Zeiss equipment to the new infrastructure within modern smart factory environments is becoming increasingly important.

It will also be a center for aftermarket sales support. Here customers will receive training on how to use the software and systems. Additionally, software help desk services will operate out of the facility.

Mark Adams, Oakland County Sr. Business Representative, attended the groundbreaking event to support Zeiss with the consolidation of their operations into Lyon Township. "Zeiss is an optical technology leader with forward thinking leadership and a talented workforce. This is the type of firm and jobs that our County Executive L. Brooks Patterson envisioned when he started our Emerging Sector program 14 years ago. Economic development is a 'varsity sport' that involves competition from other states and countries. Oakland County competes on the national and international playing field for jobs and investment. This project demonstrates a partnership with Zeiss, the State of Michigan, and Lyon Township working as a team which led to an economic development win."