Tell us about the new Bodycote Elgin, Illinois, facility. When did it become fully operational?
We are very pleased to announce that our brand-new Elgin facility, Illinois, located northwest of Chicago, is now fully operational and supporting customer requirements. We started the upgrade and installation of the new facility in early 2020 with the vision to create a state-of-the-art facility to serve the Upper Midwest region. The site opened in early December 2020.
What was the reason for building the new upgraded facility?
The facility is designed as a replacement for an aging facility in Melrose Park, Illinois. As we evolve and incorporate the latest technologies into our processes, we also consider each of our facilities capabilities to deliver maximum value for our customers. We announced earlier last year that we would replace the Melrose Park facility and invest in a plant that will provide all of the benefits of a fully engineered and coordinated model for safety, quality, and cost.
We are committed to ensuring we are able to meet our customers’ demands in the years ahead. The location reflects Bodycote’s commitment to serving the Midwest manufacturing supply chains and allows us to shape the future of both our company and the industries we serve.
What types of services are available at the facility?
Bodycote continues to provide gas-carburizing, stress-relieving, and vacuum hardening as previously offered at the Melrose Park location. The new facility also provides additional solutions including nitriding, Corr-I-Dur, nitro-carburizing, and low-pressure carburizing (LPC). As the Elgin facility is designed specifically to our specification, we can limit process variation and provide cost advantages to our customers.
What kind of customer requirements has the facility accounted for?
Bodycote upgraded our capabilities with the Elgin operations to ensure delivery of the best possible efficiency and geographical network to serve customers from the agricultural, mining, construction, automotive, and various other manufacturing supply chains in the region. A key driver to expanding our customer partnerships includes supporting growth into new technologies, using more efficient equipment, and supporting developing markets. This Elgin facility is capable of gaining certification for a full spectrum of market-support requirements, including aerospace and more.
How will this facility better serve the Midwest?
Bodycote Elgin will better serve the Midwest region with improved customer service and additional technology offerings such as nitriding, Corr-I-Dur, nitrocarburizing and low-pressure carburizing (LPC) solutions. We look forward to continuing our investment in this facility to ensure that customers experience a local service with superior quality and turnaround time.
The new location allows for increased thermal processing capabilities and will enable us to match our technology strengths with the market requirements in the Midwest. The growing demand for reliable precision components aligns with our service offerings at this new facility allowing Bodycote to create value for our customers and meet their demands.
We look forward to hosting an official opening event when COVID-19 related restrictions are lifted.
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