A grand opening ceremony was held Wednesday morning for the first building in the 500-acre Mason R&D Park, as VEGA Americas opened its new North American headquarters off Ohio 741 north.
VEGA is a leader in level and pressure measurement technology for process industries. The company’s new 50-acre site fits with the R&D Park’s focus on innovation in novel technologies and advanced manufacturing. A company representative said VEGA had outgrown its current facility in the Cincinnati suburb of Oakley and opted to come to Mason.
The 230,000-square-foot complex houses VEGA’s business operations and training center, as well as its advanced manufacturing and production facility. The facility was designed and built in conjunction with the BHDP and Messer teams. VEGA brings 250 employees to the new location, and plans to add an additional 50 over five years.
“At the onset of our search to develop a new long-term home, we set out to find a location and a partner that matched our global progressive identity,” said John Groom, Co-CEO of VEGA Americas. “It was important to reflect our corporate origins in the Black Forest of Germany, and to connect our values and principles with both the location and the partner. We found just that in the city of Mason and the Mason R&D Park. With this investment, VEGA Americas is poised to expand its role as a global supplier of innovative measurement technology for years to come.”
VEGA’s new $50M campus is the gateway anchor for the Mason R&D Park. Michelle Blair, Mason’s economic development director, said the new facility is the culmination of more than 20 years of development activities by the city.
“It’s made a big impact and it’s a great fit for Mason,” Blair said. “They have exceeded their financial commitment and have accelerated infrastructure improvements in that area.”
VEGA offers a diverse array of industrial measurement instrumentation. This year, the company reached a significant milestone, selling more than one million radar level measurement devices worldwide. Globally, VEGA employs more than 2,000 people, with 950 at its global headquarters in Schiltach in the Black Forest of Germany. VEGA operates in more than 80 countries around the globe.
Established more than 60 years ago, the company continues to provide innovation around measurement technology for highly complex processing industries, such as chemical and pharmaceutical, food, drinking water, power generation, and ships and airplanes.
“It is truly rewarding to welcome a company like VEGA who has already made such a strong impression in the city with their commitment to excellence through the development of their beautiful campus,” said Mason Mayor Barbara Spaeth.
Kimm Lauterbach, president and CEO of the Regional Economic Development Initiative (REDI Cincinnati) thanked VEGA for their foreign direct investment and confidence in the Cincinnati region.
“The Mason R&D Park, which is SiteOhio-Certified through JobsOhio’s site inventory program, is an important part of the equation to help attract and retain the best companies in the region,” Lauterbach said.
Ed Richter has been a working journalist for 36 years, with the last 32 years working in various capacities covering Butler and Warren counties as a reporter and an editor. An award-winning journalist, Richter covers local news and governments in Warren County focusing on Springboro, Lebanon, Franklin, Carlisle and Waynesville.