3D Hubs appoints Robert Schouwenburg as managing director USA

Robert Schouwenburg, one of the original Co-founders of Shapeways, will be bringing his industry experience and keen business acumen to expanding 3D Hubs’ presence in the North American market as he helms its new U.S. headquarters in Chicago.

​3D Hubs​,​ ​the online manufacturing platform, today announced the appointment of Robert Schouwenburg as its Managing Director for the USA. Schouwenburg brings a wealth of specialized knowledge to the position, drawing from 20 years of experience working with technology startups, including co-founding Shapeways and Karma Wifi.

“I’m thrilled to have Robert leading our U.S. business,” says 3D Hubs CEO and Co-founder Bram de Zwart. “He’s built an incredible track record in the manufacturing and hardware space and, with his extensive background in scaling companies, I’m confident that we will continue to grow 150 percent annually. We’re on track to become the largest on-demand manufacturing solution in America.”

3D Hubs’ expansion in the United States follows a round of $18 million in funding that’s allowed it to further scale its online manufacturing platform. The company already works with more than 15,000 U.S. businesses across a wide breadth of industry sectors, including aerospace, industrial automation, mechanical engineering, healthcare, and robotics. Building on its solid foundation in the United States, 3D Hubs recently opened offices in Chicago at mHUB, the country’s largest innovation center for manufacturing. From its new Chicago headquarters, Robert and his team will work to even better service 3D Hubs’ diverse North American customer base.

“3D Hubs joins the long list of international companies choosing Chicago for their future,” said Chicago’s former Mayor Rahm Emanuel of ​3D Hubs’ move to Chicago.​ “With our growing tech economy and strong digital manufacturing community, Chicago is the perfect home for this innovative company. I look forward to seeing 3D Hubs’ success in Chicago in the years to come.”

Schouwenburg’s first priority will be to expand the company’s ​CNC Machining services​ offering in the Chicago metropolitan area. It is a decisive moment for 3D Hubs as it continues to evolve its distributed manufacturing model. Today, the platform uses advanced algorithms to allow engineers to upload designs, asses an instant quote, and have their parts in production in less than five minutes.
“We’re at the start of ‘industry 4.0’, an era when automation and data exchange will accelerate manufacturing technologies,” says Schouwenburg, “and 3D Hubs is uniquely positioned to become a leader in this upcoming industrial revolution.”

North America is at the forefront of innovation in the on-demand manufacturing sector and 3D Hubs’ ambitious development plans are exactly in line with this fast-moving market. “We are committed to investing and growing in the United States,” says 3D Hubs CEO Bram de Zwart, “and there is nobody better equipped than Robert to lead our success here. His talents paired with our platform create the kind of winning combination that gets us even more excited about the future.”