Yesterday, desktop 3D printer manufacturer MakerBot announced in a blog post that the company will transition the production from their Brooklyn-based factory to Jabil, one of the worldwide largest contract manufacturers with its headquarters in Florida and international production facilities.
The transition is about take place over the coming months and involves the closure of their Brooklyn-based factory as well as additional lay offs. Only at the beginning of April, the company started downsizing its assembly facility in Industry City.
Jonathan Jaglom, CEO of MakerBot, explains: “To achieve our long-term goals, we also need to be able to navigate the volatility of an emerging market. Working with Jabil will position us to better manage the rapid change in our industry and reduce our manufacturing costs to compete more effectively in a global marketplace. We expect that adopting a flexible manufacturing model will allow us to quickly scale production up or down based on market demands, without the fixed costs associated with maintaining a factory in New York City.”
MakerBot will retain key personnel from the factory in areas of logistics, repair, planning, quality and operations and work closely with Jabil. Parent company Stratasys, who acquired MakerBot back in 2013 for $ 400 million, will support them in managing the transition.
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