Automated Factory. Allied President and CEO, Michael Lassner Shares his Vision for Allied’s New Manufacturing Facility in McGregor, TX
As Michael Lassner, President and CEO of Allied Steel Buildings, gears up for the highly anticipated opening of Allied’s second manufacturing facility, he is reflective on the company’s journey over the last twenty years, and the key drivers that led to this new chapter in McGregor, Texas.
Though many factors supported the decision to expand Allied’s manufacturing presence to the United States, to Michael, it all came down to doing what was best for Allied’s clients and Allied’s team. This instinct, which he followed to open the company’s inaugural manufacturing facility in 2020, paid off, despite the uncertainties of making a major investment during a global pandemic.
Looking ahead, Allied’s new facility holds promise not only to revolutionize the way steel buildings are manufactured but to transform the landscape of manufacturing in the U.S., positionsing Allied as an innovative frontrunner with unprecedented steel fabrication capabilities.
Seizing Lemons, Making Lemonade
As a global leader in steel structure solutions with a presence in 72 countries, Allied’s response to two decades of solving some of the industry’s most intricate challenges, has been constant evolution. Notable milestones include opening their business to the international market in 2009 followed by their first foray into fabrication with the launch of their inaugural manufacturing facility in La Coruna, Spain in 2020.
Four short years ago we were not fabricating our own buildings. We were designing, engineering, and providing all of the work that a fabricator does, including shop drawings. We responded to 2020’s unique supply chain difficulties by saying let’s take control of the situation and build a factory of our own.
-Michael Lassner
Known for transforming obstacles into opportunities, Allied characteristically began their new chapter as a fabricator during the peak of 2020’s unique challenges, with pandemic-related supply chain issues catalyzing the move to bring production in house. Michael explains why McGregor was the next logical step.
After the conception of our Spanish factory, we presented a different quality and standard in both our processes and the outcome of our product. Because of this, demand from clients, referrals, and word of mouth, grew exponentially until we reached a point where we had to open a new facility. So the quality of our product actually drove the decision making behind opening McGregor.
-Michael Lassner
Automated Factory – Redefining Steel Manufacturing
No stranger to working within aggressive timelines, Allied committed to the ambitious goal of manufacturing onsite in McGregor by Q1 of 2024. Collaborating with a longtime partner, Allied designed the four-building automated factory around top-of-the-line manufacturing equipment and machining from the same vendors who lent their expertise to Allied’s La Coruna facility. The facility will feature one-of-a-kind manufacturing systems making it an industry leader from a technological standpoint.
Joining forces with steel processing equipment leader Kaltenbach, as well as Spanish machining manufacturer Tecoi in their first American ventures, Allied has invested in cutting-edge equipment that will play a central role in safeguarding quality, boosting efficiency, and expanding capabilities, with the ultimate goal of increasing the value Allied passes on to its clients.
While Kaltenbach’s GIETART systems will provide Allied with capabilities to meticulously pre-blast raw steel, provide final service treatments to fabricated products, and paint customized steel profiles, Tecoi’s custom designed special plate processing “Thor” system will play an integral part in ensuring the precision and high quality Allied’s products are known for.
The factory’s most unique feature however, is undoubtedly its fully automated robotics line from Lincoln Electric/Zeman. As the first of its kind in the world, this system has the potential to revolutionize the way steel assemblies are produced and transform the quality, precision, and speed of Allied’s manufacturing process.
The line’s ecosystem, consisting of four machines plus integrated software, will scan, sort, and transport plates, allocating them to the appropriate projects, before assembling, and welding them per project specifications. In addition to improving the speed and quality of production, the system will leverage modeling technology to identify and solve potential design flaws before they occur.
Transforming The Workforce
The technology is cutting edge, however, the success of this transformative system depends largely on the people who operate it and as the technology behind welding evolves, the need for skilled and experienced professionals who know the trade will grow.
As Michael observed,
The two short years between facility openings revealed major advancements to the equipment that fortunately aligned with employment trends in the US, wherein people are showing that they want to grow and work differently.
McGregor, TX
Locating the new facility in McGregor was a strategic choice. The city’s strong transportation network, friendly business environment, and commitment to industrial growth made it an attractive choice for Allied’s first US manufacturing facility, however it was the city’s proximity to Baylor University and TSTC that affirmed Allied’s decision to call McGregor home. Both institutions are major contributors to the development of the community’s skilled workforce, particularly in the areas of automation and manufacturing.
Allied envisions its expansion into McGregor as a major opportunity not just for its own operations but also for innovation and technological advancement, local investment and industrial growth, and even the resurgence of US manufacturing.
Our facility in McGregor will provide an opportunity for personal and professional growth by providing a way for people to advance skill sets they’ve already learned. We’re really excited about the partnership that we’ve created with McGregor and Waco and we look forward to participating in the community as much as possible to fulfill these communities’ goals for employment and success as well as our own.
-Michael Lassner
Meeting Growing Global Demand
While the La Coruna facility will continue to focus primarily on the production of complex custom projects, McGregor will service demand for smaller-mid sized projects, delivering speed and premium quality thanks to its industry-leading equipment. By continuing to work with longtime supply partners, Allied is enthusiastic about meeting the growing global demand for its projects for years to come.
Produced with primary steel from the La Coruna plant, the new facility will showcase Allied’s abilities as a fabricator, and its eye-catching “Allied-blue” finish coat is just one striking example of what the facility can do in-house. Initially, fifteen percent of the facility’s 140-square-foot rooftop will be outfitted for onsite solar-power generation, which is projected to account for 35-40% of the facility’s electricity needs.
By 2025, proposed onsite generation projects will be able to account for the remaining 60-65%. Through this commitment to reducing manufacturing emissions, Allied continues to demonstrate a commitment to innovation and community.
Stepping Boldly Ahead
Allied’s aspirations at our McGregor facility are many:
- To challenge industry limits.
- To develop a leading workforce dedicated to the evolution of automation and manufacturing.
- To continuously improve our products and key processes.
However, no goal supersedes our original one:
- To be with our clients all the way.
This expansion marks an exciting milestone for our company as we continue to grow and deliver our products worldwide. As Michael summarizes,
McGregor is about our customers and about our team. Yes it features the greatest technology in the industry but our focus is on what our clients need and we designed the facility based on that. We went from zero to one-hundred in Spain and it was all because of our clients and because of our team. We were able to build a great team with the best talent in a really competitive market and we aim to continue to do so in McGregor.
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