Schneider Electric, a leader in the Digital Transformation of energy management and automation, has announced it will invest about US$46 million in its Lexington, KY and Lincoln, NE manufacturing plants to modernize their operations and increase circuit breaker and related electrical product output for its customers in the US and Canada.
The new investment augments the more than US$100 million the company earmarked in 2021 to strengthen regional capability and increase manufacturing capacity in the North American region which saw organic growth of +12.6% in fiscal year 2021.
The modernization efforts in the 65-year-old Lexington plant and 50-year-old Lincoln plant will include installing new equipment and machinery with the most current and connected technology and automation. The newer technology, coupled with using an architecture optimized for digitization, will help increase the plants’ quality and capacity and make their operations more energy efficient.
Further, these upgraded manufacturing facilities enabled by digitization and connectivity will improve operational efficiency and mean time between failures, or the average time between repairable failures of a technology product. Since the new, advanced equipment will be connected, employees will be able to monitor and adjust energy usage and perform online diagnostics and predictive maintenance tasks remotely.
“To keep pace with the near and long-term demand for our products and to plan for the future, we must invest in our supply chain capabilities,” said Ken Engel, Senior Vice President, Global Supply Chain, North America, Schneider Electric. “Our duty always, and particularly in the context of the current economic and energy environment, is to serve the needs of our customers and partners across our manufacturing and distribution network. These investments are proof of that commitment.”
