Ammega's commitment to the American market is evident through its substantial investment of more than $100 million in the region.
Ammega invested $19 million in a greenfield Georgia facility for Ammeraal, which began operations in 2021, and $14 million in Chemprene that same year.
Ammeraal expanded its modular products manufacturing facility in Reading, Pa., by 50 percent in 2021, and another 40 percent this year, Ammega said. This expansion allows Ammeraal Beltech to mold and assemble products in the U.S. "while increasing warehouse capacity to ensure faster product delivery."
"I think we also want to highlight the Buford (Georgia) facility, which has doubled in size in both capacity and capability over the last year," Oh said.
Megadyne's engineered specialty belt business completed its relocation from Cumming, Ga., to Buford, Ga., in October 2021. The Charlotte location for Megadyne produces urethane extrusion belts.
"On the power transmission side, we are investing more in the capability of our mission, expanding our ability to take a product produced in Italy and localizing it in the U.S.," Oh said.
Recent investments in Megadyne facilities have allowed Ammega to automate processes and produce customized belts to serve customers' specific needs.
"These belts, designed to meet the unique demands of various applications, are a true embodiment of Megadyne's commitment to innovation," Oh said. "Megadyne's commitment to precision and sustainability is unwavering."
A third area of investment has been in retooling and rebranding Ammega's customer service centers, which are growing.
"We are investing to improve our warehouse operations so we are more efficient," Oh said. "This is to say, we finish the product locally, then pick, pack and ship it accordingly."
While empirical numbers are important as they relate to capital investments in hardware and new facilities, the "soft" investments — those that are made in "capable people"—are equally critical.
"There is also the responsibility to have capable people so that we bring a U.S.-fit to our products," Oh said. "That is to say, we are growing with technicians so that we can work with customers to tailor our product know-how to how customers work.
"But as that changes, we don't want to be on the back of the bus seeing what is changing, uniquely, with the U.S. needs. We want to conform our products up front. And this is the solution for the U.S., the investment that is the gist of it all: people, equipment and capability."
Oh noted that while belting in the U.S. is a legacy market, there is a major distinction in that the legacy players in heavy belting tend to be much larger firms, while legacy players in lightweight belting, especially in North America, tend to be smaller firms.