Today NanoMech announced it has purchased its existing factory and will build an adjoining state-of-the-art facility in east Springdale. The approximate 25,000 square foot building will triple the size of current operations and will serve as the company’s world headquarters.
New NanoMech Global Headquarters (Photo: Business Wire)
“NanoMech is a global nanomanufacturing company founded right here in Northwest Arkansas,” said NanoMech CEO Jim Phillips. “The new factory and expanded headquarters will provide for approximately 25-50 new jobs for world-class scientists and support staff. The space will also allow us to meet current demand for our products while advancing ongoing research and development efforts. This state-of-the-art, smart manufacturing facility and laboratories will further position our products and scientists as some of the best and most innovative in the world.”
The new factory will incorporate cutting edge assembly lines, laboratories, and the latest in security, environmental, and safety systems for handling advanced manufacturing, military, and strategic projects. A secure wall and security fencing enclosing the campus are also part of the building plans. While the new facility will connect to the existing building, the company has purchased the adjacent 7.3 acre tract for future development providing the company with the ability to expand on a contiguous 9 acre campus.
“This advanced facility will allow us to accelerate the development and commercialization of innovative products that people have only dreamed of before,” said Dr. Ajay P. Malshe, NanoMech Founder and CTO said. “Aggressive demand for our technology suggests the need for rapid scale-up production to meet government and private sector orders for our breakthrough products.”
NanoMech, founded in 2002, is the result of a successful public/private partnership (PPP) between the private sector, the State of Arkansas, the University of Arkansas, and the federal government. State and city officials worked alongside company leadership to make the company’s new global campus become a reality.
“The City of Springdale is positioned to continue to lead our state in growth,” said Springdale Mayor Doug Sprouse. “Projects like the NanoMech expansion show that the city is open for business and interested in helping companies grow and expand.”
Governor Beebe and Grant Tennille, the executive director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, are staunch supporters of technology growth in Northwest Arkansas. They regularly cite the partnership between NanoMech, the University of Arkansas and the private sector as a model for public/private partnership (PPP) success.
“NanoMech is at the forefront of an industry estimated to have a multi-trillion dollar impact on the global economy over the next decade,” Tennille said. “This expansion signifies to the industry that NanoMech is one of the world’s leading companies and we believe they will continue to create important, knowledge-based jobs and attract the best scientists from the international stage.”
Perry Webb, President of the Springdale Chamber of Commerce, believes the NanoMech expansion will help spur others to invest in Springdale. “Springdale is a great place to do business and we are thrilled that such a successful national—award—winning global technology company is headquartered here,” Webb said. “We have been impressed with their management's relentless work ethic, and excited this multi-million dollar factory will serve as an anchor for this area encouraging other companies to include Springdale in their growth plans.”
NanoMech chose Miller Boskus Lack Architects, P.A. of Fayetteville, Arkansas, to design the new headquarters factory and labs. The architectural plans are complete and construction is expected to be begin in the coming weeks. The new factory and headquarters is expected to be fully operational by the summer of 2014.
Vince Caprio, Executive Director of NanoBCA (NanoBusiness Commercialization Association), said “NanoMech has been on our radar for several years. The advancements they are making in the materials science and nanomanufactured products space is nothing short of game changing. Our organization has recognized NanoMech as one of the national leaders that is improving the science in the nanotechnology field launching revolutionary products.”
Deborah Wince-Smith, CEO of the American Council on Competitiveness and also a member of NanoMech’s Board of Directors, praises NanoMech for their innovative work. “In a world of turbulence, transition and transformation, nothing matters more to the competitiveness of companies and countries than innovation and manufacturing prowess. The ability to develop and deploy the most cutting-edge tools and products to bolster U.S. advanced manufacturing will deliver outsized benefits to the U.S. industrial base. NanoMech is at the leading edge of a resurgent U.S. manufacturing capability – one that is not dumb, dirty, dangerous and disappearing; but is smart, safe, sustainable and surging.”
About NanoMech
NanoMech Inc. was founded in 2002 and creates advanced engineering materials through patent and patent-pending nano-engineered and nano-manufactured product development. NanoMech is an internationally recognized pioneer in applying breakthrough innovations to critical areas of national interest including machining and manufacturing, lubrication and energy, and strategic military applications. NanoMech honors include the distinguished R&D100 award for Top U.S. Technology, the NanoBCS Top Company of the Year, and was recently nominated for two Edison Awards. NanoMech also received the Frost & Sullivan award for Excellence in Technology. NanoMech is a member of President Obama’s Materials Genome Initiative, the U.S. Manufacturing Competitiveness Initiative (USMCI) and the U.S. Technology Leadership and Strategy Initiative, both based in Washington, DC. The company maintains sales offices around the country and an approximate 5000 square foot research and development facility at the University of Arkansas Research Park Enterprise Center.