DMG Mori Group is investing more than $40.5 million to establish a manufacturing and research center in Chicago, and to foster training in advanced manufacturing skills. DMG Mori Federal Services, a subsidiary, has secured an Illinois Dept. of Commerce and Economic Opportunity incentive package for the project tied to job creation. It estimates the new venture will introduce 74 full-time jobs, and it has committed to form a workforce-development partnership with the City Colleges of Chicago that will prepare students for future manufacturing careers.
No start-up date has been announced for the new Advanced Manufacturing & Innovation Center.
DMG Mori Group is a manufacturer of CNC turning, milling, grinding, and hybrid manufacturing machines, with North American headquarters in Hoffman Estates, Ill. DMG Mori Federal Services was established in 2021 to focus on high-security and precision requirements of the U.S. government, defense sector, and national laboratories.
In 2022, DMG Mori and the Illinois Institute of Technology agreed establish a “National Institute for Advanced Manufacturing” at the Illinois Tech campus in Chicago, to instruct and train workers for advanced manufacturing.
“DMG Mori’s investment will create quality jobs, strengthen Chicago’s manufacturing ecosystem, and establish a cutting-edge R&D facility that supports innovation and long-term competitiveness,” stated Illinois DCEO director Kristin Richards.
“Illinois has a proud legacy of manufacturing excellence, and our investment in the Advanced Manufacturing & Innovation Center builds on that foundation to shape the next generation of industrial technology,” stated DMG Mori Federal Services chairman James Nudo.
DMG has identified a 90,000-sq.ft location for manufacturing and office space. The site is a reclaimed industrial area on Chicago’s north side now targeted for redevelopment with digital and high-tech manufacturing, and makerspace opportunities.
According to an announcement by Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, the new operation will anchor DMG Mori’s North American research and development activities; house a “government solutions center”; and produce “high-speed, high-accuracy optomechanical scanners and metal additive-manufactured components.”
“By co-locating research and production in Chicago’s Goose Island industrial corridor, we are creating a powerful network effect that will accelerate innovation from discovery to deployment,” Nudo added. “This facility will expand our North American R&D capacity, advance additive manufacturing and automation technologies, and power production of dual-use and defense applications.”
