A new manufacturer is setting up shop in north-central Arkansas, bringing millions of dollars in investment and the promise of dozens of jobs to Melbourne.
Oobotic, an advanced manufacturing company, has established its first U.S. production facility in the city, according to the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. The company plans to invest about $6.5 million in the facility and create up to 70 jobs over the next four years.
“Oobotic is pleased to establish operations in Melbourne and become part of the local community,” said Billy Faver, plant manager for Oobotic. “This facility will support our manufacturing activities in the United States and provide a foundation for future growth.”
Oobotic uses automated manufacturing processes to produce a variety of consumer products. The Melbourne facility will initially focus on producing electronic products and other manufactured goods.
“Oobotic’s decision to locate in Melbourne is a positive development for the region and will bring new employment opportunities to north-central Arkansas,” said Clint O’Neal, executive director of the AEDC. “We appreciate the company’s investment in Arkansas and look forward to supporting its continued growth.”
Company officials said the new facility reflects Oobotic’s ongoing efforts to expand its U.S. manufacturing capabilities. Melbourne was chosen based on workforce availability, business climate, operational considerations and incentives offered by the AEDC.
The facility will support U.S. box fan manufacturing for Aspen Appliance Inc., using AI-enabled automation intended to build scalable domestic production capacity.
“Aspen Appliance Inc. is proud to support U.S. box fan manufacturing through our collaborative project with Oobotic in Melbourne,” said Jason Liszewski, vice president of sales for Aspen Appliance. “Reshoring production to the United States must be done strategically, and we believe advanced AI-enabled automation is a key part of making domestic manufacturing scalable, competitive and reliable for our retail partners. This project represents a significant step toward rebuilding U.S. manufacturing capacity while also creating and supporting American jobs.”
The roughly 97,000-square-foot facility is located at 2262 La Crosse Road in Melbourne and will be equipped with modern manufacturing systems and production equipment.
Oobotic expects to hire employees across manufacturing, operations and administrative roles. Information about job openings will be available at oobotic.com.
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