Robohub.org
 

Factory move to U.S. creates jobs with help from robot workforce


by
25 January 2017



share this:
Source: CBS Evening News

Source: CBS Evening News

By investing $6 million in robots, Bicycle Corporation of America (BCA) was able to take back 10% of their manufacturing from China and place it into a new factory in Manning, South Carolina employing 140 new workers.

BCA has been an American business since 1905 but has manufactured most of its bicycles offshore in China. Recently, as wages have risen in China, robotic technology has improved, and as the costs of owning and operating robots have decreased, the economics are beginning to make sense when there are processes that can be effectively performed by robots.

In BCA’s case, their investment in robots that insert spoke wires onto bike wheels have obviated the need for 100 additional workers who would otherwise be needed. As a result, it makes economic sense for BCA to manufacture in the U.S. BCA bought an abandoned factory Manning, SC and created 140 jobs — a lifeline in this distressed industrial town. But the only way to make it work was investing in robots.

“We’re creating jobs with the automation and being able to be price-competitive with China now and it will get even better in the future,” said Arnold Kamler, BCA owner.

Thus, for BCA and the City and people of Manning, SC, robots are creating jobs –140 of them.



tags: , , , , , ,


Frank Tobe is the owner and publisher of The Robot Report, and is also a panel member for Robohub's Robotics by Invitation series.
Frank Tobe is the owner and publisher of The Robot Report, and is also a panel member for Robohub's Robotics by Invitation series.





Related posts :



Robot Talk Episode 110 – Designing ethical robots, with Catherine Menon

  21 Feb 2025
In the latest episode of the Robot Talk podcast, Claire chatted to Catherine Menon from the University of Hertfordshire about designing home assistance robots with ethics in mind.

Robot Talk Episode 109 – Building robots at home, with Dan Nicholson

  14 Feb 2025
In the latest episode of the Robot Talk podcast, Claire chatted to Dan Nicholson from MakerForge.tech about creating open source robotics projects you can do at home.

Robot Talk Episode 108 – Giving robots the sense of touch, with Anuradha Ranasinghe

  07 Feb 2025
In the latest episode of the Robot Talk podcast, Claire chatted to Anuradha Ranasinghe from Liverpool Hope University about haptic sensors for wearable tech and robotics.

Robot Talk Episode 107 – Animal-inspired robot movement, with Robert Siddall

  31 Jan 2025
In the latest episode of the Robot Talk podcast, Claire chatted to Robert Siddall from the University of Surrey about novel robot designs inspired by the way real animals move.

Robot Talk Episode 106 – The future of intelligent systems, with Didem Gurdur Broo

  24 Jan 2025
In the latest episode of the Robot Talk podcast, Claire chatted to Didem Gurdur Broo from Uppsala University about how to shape the future of robotics, autonomous vehicles, and industrial automation.

Robot Talk Episode 105 – Working with robots in industry, with Gianmarco Pisanelli 

  17 Jan 2025
In the latest episode of the Robot Talk podcast, Claire chatted to Gianmarco Pisanelli from the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre about how to promote the safe and intuitive use of robots in manufacturing.

Robot Talk Episode 104 – Robot swarms inspired by nature, with Kirstin Petersen

  10 Jan 2025
In the latest episode of the Robot Talk podcast, Claire chatted to Kirstin Petersen from Cornell University about how robots can work together to achieve complex behaviours.

Robot Talk Episode 103 – Delivering medicine by drone, with Keenan Wyrobek

  20 Dec 2024
In the latest episode of the Robot Talk podcast, Claire chatted to Keenan Wyrobek from Zipline about drones for delivering life-saving medicine to remote locations.





Robohub is supported by:




Would you like to learn how to tell impactful stories about your robot or AI system?


scicomm
training the next generation of science communicators in robotics & AI


©2024 - Association for the Understanding of Artificial Intelligence


 












©2021 - ROBOTS Association