Japan-based Air conditioning manufacturer, Daikin, is planning to construct a new $410m US manufacturing facility in Houston, Texas, through its subsidiary Goodman.
The 350,000 sq m new base is being established to integrate the four factories that Goodman currently operates in the United States and the logistics base.
The new base, named Comfortplex, is expected to be operational in mid-2016 and will consolidate marketing and customer support activities and construction of the new base will begin in the coming months with operations at the site scheduled to start in the middle of 2016.
Since the Goodman acquisition in 2012 for $3.7bn, Daikin has increased business in the US by utilizing the strengths of both companies. However, greater production capacity has become essential for achieving further growth.
Together with enhancing Goodman production facilities, the new base will showcase Daikin’s state-of-the-art production technology that is expanding to every region of the world and aim for significant gains in productivity to achieve nonstop creation of cost competitive products.
Other expected benefits include optimal logistics efficiency through the melding of production and logistics in the integration of the logistics base with the four factories dispersed within the United States; inventory reduction through the sharing of components; and significant shortening of lead-time through improved efficiency in the delivery of finished products.
The company expects to manufacturer the following products on site: residential-use unitary, VRV, gas furnaces, air handling units, PTAC (wall-embedded type), rooftops, and residential-use split type air conditioners.
