JR Automation Unveils Plans for $72.8M Global Headquarters
Strategic Expansion for Global Operations
JR Automation, a Hitachi Group company, announced plans for a new $72.8M global headquarters in Zeeland, Michigan. This initiative strengthens its industrial automation capabilities while fostering collaboration with Hitachi’s global technology teams. Groundbreaking is scheduled for September 17, 2025, with completion expected in late Fall 2026.
Honoring Legacy While Driving Innovation
The new headquarters honors Ken Assink’s visionary legacy, the company founder, and supports Michigan’s status as a hub for advanced automation. Moreover, the facility reinforces Hitachi’s commitment to maintaining the headquarters in its original industrial ecosystem.
Cutting-Edge Design for Industrial Automation
The 286,000-square-foot campus includes 76,000 square feet of office space and 210,000 square feet for assembling automation solutions. It will unite approximately 350 employees, streamlining collaboration on PLC, DCS, and factory automation projects. The facility demonstrates a seamless integration of office efficiency and production workflow.
Enhancing Global Innovation and Collaboration
JR Automation’s expansion follows global acquisitions, including MA Micro Automation in Europe and growth in Singapore. The headquarters will serve as a One Hitachi hub, integrating digital twin technology, edge computing, and AI to support intelligent manufacturing ecosystems. As a result, customers benefit from advanced, scalable automation solutions.
Employee-Centric and Sustainable Facility
The campus features modern collaboration spaces, on-site fitness facilities, and outdoor-access workspaces to attract top talent. Moreover, 45 acres of ecologically restored prairie, walkable paths, and renewable energy solutions reinforce sustainability goals, supporting zero landfill waste and carbon neutrality by 2030.
Author Insight: Industrial Automation Trends
This expansion reflects broader trends in industrial automation, including digital twin integration, AI-driven process optimization, and sustainable factory design. Companies investing in high-tech, centralized campuses gain operational efficiency and long-term innovation capabilities. JR Automation’s strategy illustrates the importance of combining human expertise with smart manufacturing technology.
Application Scenarios and Solutions
- Smart Manufacturing: Integrating AI, PLC, and DCS for predictive maintenance and operational efficiency.
- Global Collaboration: Streamlining multi-location projects with centralized innovation hubs.
- Sustainable Automation: Reducing carbon footprint and enhancing workforce well-being in industrial facilities.
About JR Automation
Founded in 1980, JR Automation delivers integrated industrial automation and smart manufacturing solutions worldwide. Now part of the Hitachi Group, it employs over 2,000 professionals across 21 global locations.
About Hitachi Ltd.
Hitachi integrates IT, OT, and products through its Social Innovation Business to create balanced, efficient industrial ecosystems. Its Lumada platform enables data-driven decision-making and advanced automation solutions for diverse industries worldwide.
site fitness center and workspaces that inspire sustainable practices and connection to the outdoors, all to help attract and retain leading talent. The 45-acre campus will also feature walkable, bikeable paved paths integrated into an ecologically restored native prairie landscape.
The new headquarters also represents a significant step toward JR Automation’s goals of carbon neutrality and zero landfill waste by 2030 as the company advances its sustainability practices. These efforts include cultivating native biodiversity across the campus and meeting non-production electricity needs with on-site renewable energy, demonstrating a commitment to environmental stewardship and the local community.
Founded in 1980 as a family-owned business serving the automotive industry, JR Automation has grown into a global leader in industrial automation and smart manufacturing technology. As the company rapidly grew, it attracted investment from two private equity firms before Hitachi Ltd acquired it in 2019. Today, the company employs more than 2,000 people across 21 global locations and serves industries including aerospace, automotive, consumer goods, energy, life sciences, warehousingand more.
About JR Automation
At JR Automation, we accelerate what’s possible with integrated manufacturing solutions that adapt, evolve, and scale at the speed of business. With more than 45 years of experience, we’re driven to solve complex manufacturing challenges—to deliver results today and for what’s next. As part of the Hitachi Group of Companies, our team of ~2,000 serves customers from 21 facilities in North America, Europeand Asia.
About Hitachi Ltd.
Through its Social Innovation Business (SIB) that brings together IT, OT (Operational Technology) and products, Hitachi contributes to a harmonized society where the environment, wellbeingand economic growth are in balance. Hitachi operates globally in four sectors–Digital Systems & Services, Energy, Mobilityand Connective Industries – and the Strategic SIB Business Unit for new growth businesses. With Lumada at its core, Hitachi generates value from integrating data, technologyand domain knowledge to solve customer and social challenges. Revenues for FY2024 (ended March 31, 2025) totaled 9,783.3 billion yen, with 618 consolidated subsidiaries and approximately 280,000 employees worldwide.
