KNAPP announced that the company has purchased a new building adjacent to its current location in Kennesaw, Georgia. The 50,000-sq.-ft. multi-purpose facility will be renovated, with completion scheduled in the fall of 2018. The planned expansion will provide capacity for growth of the KNAPP North American workforce by 150 in the initial phases, and will be home for company technology demonstrations, showroom and training facilities.

According to Gernot Rupp, Vice President of Operations at KNAPP, “The company has been experiencing significant growth in its North American market and is forecasting the need for additional personnel, particularly in the areas of mechanical and electrical engineering, system design engineering, software, project management, sales and administration.” The company is expecting to more than double its current North American workforce to approximately 300.

The technology demonstration, showroom and training facility will include an array of KNAPP’s latest developments in vision technologies, robotics, virtual reality, driverless shuttles and software. “KNAPP is a market leader and innovator in delivering automated warehousing and distribution solutions for the supply chain,” commented KNAPP CEO Josef Mentzer, “making the company a preferred choice for major brands in retail, healthcare, grocery and manufacturing that are looking for a competitive edge. It’s this increase in demand that is directly fueling our growth and the need to expand operations – particularly in the areas of system design, engineering and software.” Major KNAPP customers include companies such as McKesson, AmerisourceBergen, Avon, Hermes, United Healthcare/Optum, Walgreen/Boots and Walmart.