Brils, a robotics specialist, is establishing a local subsidiary in Michigan to expand its supply chain in the North American market.
The company announced Thursday that it has established a U.S. subsidiary on a 6,434-square-meter site in Kentwood, near Grand Rapids, Michigan. Brils plans to use the local subsidiary as a strategic foothold to expand into North American automotive supply chains and advanced manufacturing markets including medical devices and secondary batteries.
Brils has built a solid track record by consistently winning projects from global companies including Brose, Minth, Hyundai Motor (005380.KS), Hyundai Transys, Hanse Mobility, and Nifco. Last year, exports accounted for 37% of total revenue, strengthening the company's presence in global markets including the United States, Mexico, Czech Republic, and India.
Grand Rapids is known as "America's manufacturing innovation hub," with more than half of Michigan's top 100 automotive parts suppliers—61 companies—along with various automakers and vendors concentrated in the area. Brils plans to address the local manufacturing sector's biggest challenges—labor shortages, declining productivity, and supply chain restructuring—with its robotic modular solutions.
To support this effort, the company secured a location with excellent logistics and transportation access near Gerald R. Ford International Airport. The facility features approximately 8-meter ceiling height, a loading dock, and office space, enabling rapid response to local customers' robotic modular solution needs and after-sales service.
Prior to establishing its U.S. subsidiary, Brils won a project in November last year from Airlife, a global medical device consumables manufacturer and distributor headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The project involves supplying an automated packaging system for oxygen supply tubes, featuring a multi-robot vision-driven motion system and advanced industrial AI-based vision quality control solutions.
"The Brils U.S. subsidiary represents our firm commitment to becoming a global robotic modular solution company," said Jeon Jin, CEO of Brils. "Through our local presence, we will pursue additional contracts not only from advanced industries including North American automotive, semiconductor, secondary battery, and display sectors, but also from global healthcare companies."