MakerBot Expands With Bigger NYC Factory

MakerBot has expanded its footprint with a new, bigger factory in Industry City, Brooklyn, that will allow it to expand its desktop 3D printing business.

The new 170,000-square-foot facility doubles production capacity compared with MakerBot’s previous factory, which was also in Industry City, a manufacturing district on the waterfront in the Sunset Park neighborhood. It’s MakerBot’s third location in Brooklyn, where the now-subsidiary of Stratasys opened its doors six years ago.

The new factory features a new layout that advances its lean manufacturing methods. he layout brings critical functions -- such as materials, production, product testing, and shipping -- closer to one another, streamlining the production process and reducing waste while ramping up efficiency, the company said.

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The space also includes more room for product testing, as part of MakerBot’s plans to create the 3D printing machinery industry’s largest quality assurance operation, as well as a larger machine shop and 3D printing capabilities for both manufacturing and R&D, according to MakerBot.

“I couldn’t think of a better place for our new factory,” said MakerBot CEO Jonathan Jaglom. “The new factory is a state-of-the-art facility with a focus on lean manufacturing and efficiency, making it one of the most advanced factories in New York City and in the global 3D printing industry. Close proximity to our R&D teams and corporate headquarters is a huge advantage as it allows us to adapt quickly to changes in the growing market of 3D printing.”

MakerBot celebrated the factory’s opening on July 22 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring Jaglom and other locals with an interest in 3D printing and Brooklyn business development: Eric Adams, Brooklyn's borough president; Dan Freedman, dean of the School of Science and Engineering at SUNY New Paltz; and Randy Asher, principal of Brooklyn Technical High School.

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The new factory employs 140, including staff in production, shipping, receiving, manufacturing engineering, quality engineering, supply chain, and planning.

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Elizabeth Montalbano is a freelance writer who has written about technology and culture for more than 15 years. She has lived and worked as a professional journalist in Phoenix, San Francisco and New York City. In her free time she enjoys surfing, traveling, music, yoga and cooking. She currently resides in a village on the southwest coast of Portugal.