Fives Landis Corp. opens technology center in US

Fives Landis Corp., Hagerstown, Md., a manufacturer of precision grinding solutions and grinding accessories, will open a technology center at its headquarters. At 6,000 sq. ft., the new R&D and demo facility will feature grinding systems from the company's product range, including Landis-Bryant ID/OD grinders and Landis centerless grinders, as well as the Giustina surface-grinding system.

The Hagerstown facility will be the second of its kind after the company's original demo and research center for grinding applications opened in 2013 at the Fives Landis Ltd., Keighley, U.K., manufacturing plant near Manchester, U.K. It will be a crucial part of the company's success in technology and a strong partner with its growing global customer base.

"The technology center is a new milestone in our long company history and the latest step in the process of expanding our business activities beyond our traditional orbital operations," said Ron Wood, executive director of business development at Fives Landis Corp. "We will be able to not only develop and provide new products and processes but also help our customers with a proactive approach when facing the challenges of today's production environment, whether through test grinds, application and training support or R&D work. We work closely with key suppliers and other industry experts to find solutions that help our customers to improve and optimize their current operations."

One of the key focuses of the technology center operation will be the application support, especially in areas where tough-to-machine or exotic materials traditionally create challenges for equipment and operators, such as in aerospace applications. Dedicated application engineers will work with customers from all industries to solve their very specific problems. The center also will give clients the opportunity to attend hands-on machine demonstrations to help better understand processes and capabilities and see the quality delivered by Fives' grinding systems firsthand.

Besides the company's commitment to develop and expand its business and invest in technology, the new technology center underlines once more Fives' commitment to the state of Maryland as a base of business for precision grinding and an investment in its highly skilled workforce. As part of the business expansion, Fives Landis Corp. continues to increase its employee headcount and has added 23 people to its workforce since the beginning of 2016. The company also continues to invest in its internship program and maintains very close relationships with local colleges. Every year, between two and five students complete Fives' internship program in Hagerstown, where they learn basic manufacturing and engineering skills in a realistic business environment. Fives Landis Corp. can look back at a long history as an employer in this area in the manufacturing sector and recently celebrated its 120th anniversary.

"As one of the few remaining U.S. precision grinding machine manufacturers in this sector, our goal is to strengthen our market position domestically, as well as globally," Wood said. "The new technology center is a great opportunity for us to gain more visibility and to even better engage with our customers."

For additional information, see http://grinding.fivesgroup.com.