Windmoeller & Hoelscher expanding Rhode Island HQ

Flexible packaging machine builder Windmoeller & Hoelscher Corp. (W&H) is expanding its North American headquarters in Lincoln, R.I., to add 12,000 square feet of warehouse space and 5,600 square feet of office space within the next year.

The two-phase project also includes a complete renovation of the existing 8,400 square feet of office space.

The multi-million-dollar project will double the size of the spare parts warehouse and add space to take on the sales and service for the W&H Group's paper division, Garant Maschinen, W&H North America President Andrew Wheeler said in an email.

The expansion also will create about 30 jobs at the Lincoln site, which currently employs 74 people. The new positions will cover all departments, but primarily boost the service departments.

Construction work is expected to be completed by winter 2025, Wheeler added, calling the recent ground-breaking event a pivotal moment for the company.

"Our investment in this expansion reflects our commitment to enhancing service capabilities and ensuring we meet our customers' needs more swiftly and efficiently than ever before. By doubling our warehouse capacity and making space for our growing team, we are dedicated to strengthening our support and fostering further growth in North America," Wheeler said.

W&H is part of Windmöller & Hölscher Group, a 150-year-old, family-owned, German supplier of film extrusion lines, printing presses and converting equipment for the production of flexible packaging.

The group opened the Lincoln facility in 1977. Company officials did consider expanding elsewhere.

"We looked into moving to other parts of Rhode Island or across the border in Massachusetts," Wheeler said. "At the end of the day, proximity to talent in Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts as well as to Logan and TF Green airports were driving factors in staying put in Lincoln."

To operate more sustainably in Lincoln, photovoltaic panels will be installed — enough to generate nearly all the building's electricity, including powering the HVAC system for the office space — along with electric vehicle charging stations.

W&H officials say the company's machines are in use in more than 130 countries by more than 5,000 customers.

In 2023, Windmöller & Hölscher Group achieved sales of over 1.1 billion euros, the release says.