Buehler Motor, Inc. (BMI), a leading international provider of mechatronic drive solutions, has relocated and expanded its U.S. headquarters to allow it to better provide its customers in automotive, aerospace, medical devices, office and building automation with the latest advances in green technology.
As further proof of its commitment to environmental stewardship, the company's all-new North American Technical Center (NATC), part of its new Morrisville, N.C.-based headquarters near the Research Triangle Park (RTP) in Raleigh-Durham, achieved the highest rating for environmentally friendly information technology compliance. Additionally, the Buehler NATC will feature EV charging stations in the employee parking area.
BMI's new, 13,838-square-foot facility is 30 percent larger than its previous Morrisville headquarters, and was constructed with a number of state-of-the-art automation, building and IT advances that will enable it to serve as a model of operating and energy efficiency. The building will function as the design, showroom, prototype-development and testing center for BMI's customized mechatronic drive solutions manufactured at its factories in global locations.
BMI's parent company, Buehler Motor of Germany, delivered more than 22 million mechatronic drive units worldwide in 2008. BMI began business in North Carolina in 1969.
In addition to providing its customers with expanded capacity, the NATC reinforces the company's commitment to North Carolina. "Much of Buehler's U.S. success over the past 41 years can be traced to North Carolina's pro-business climate - so when it came time to expand, we knew we wanted to stay here," explained Bob Riedford, BMI president and general manager.
"It's not an exaggeration to say that this new center is one of the most modern and efficient in North America. It allows us to more easily meet our North American customers' growing demands for technically advanced and environmentally responsible motor products," added Riedford.
The new BMI U.S. headquarters and NATC will be christened by local, county and state representatives on October 13 and 14, 2009. The address is 860 Aviation Parkway, Suite 300, in Morrisville, N.C.
According to Riedford, the NATC will also serve as the U.S. hub for Buehler's customer service commitment and its newly established national partner network. "With significantly expanded engineering, prototyping and testing capabilities, we're already delivering drive solutions for our customers' next-generation green products."
"But beyond the products we design and develop for our customers, Buehler is also establishing its own internal green manufacturing and operating processes as part of our goal to become one of the world's most environmentally responsible motor component manufacturers, " explained Riedford.
One example of this environmental stewardship is the IT function at the new NATC. By consolidating all business applications from twelve network servers onto a single server with several virtual server slices, the Buehler Motor NATC achieved the highest possible ranking base on established rankings allowing businesses to judge their compliance with accepted norms in saving energy resources in their IT applications.
The Buehler Motor NATC is also scheduled to install multiple EV charging stations to enable employees to charge their environmentally friendly electric vehicles while at work.
BMI also achieved international environmental management certification under DIN EN ISO 14001:2004, which specifies the organization's compliance to protect the environment, prevent pollution and improve its environmental performance.
Buehler Motor is currently contracted to supply its auxiliary water pump for General Motor's Chevrolet Volt Extended-Range Electric Vehicle and CODA Automotive's upcoming electric five-passenger sedan. Buehler also builds custom paper-handling DC motor assemblies for the Xerox's new ColorQube(TM) series of color multifunction printers that utilize solid ink technology and generate 90 percent less waste. Buehler Motor has contracted with a major commercial engine supplier to provide brushless DC motors to drive fuel pump assemblies designed to reduce emissions in off-highway commercial vehicles.
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