German shoemaker Adidas is creaking a robot-powered assembly plant in Cherokee County that will create 160 jobs, the company reported.
Adidas related to the media it will open a futuristic “Speedfactory” in 2017 that is expected to produce 50,000 shoes next year.
The metro Atlanta location will be the first such plant in the United States and will be a replication of the existing Speedfactory the shoe maker’s home country.
“adidas‘ decision to open its new SPEEDFACTORY facility in Cherokee County further cements metro Atlanta as a gateway for global business,” said Hala Moddelmog, president and CEO of the Metro Atlanta Chamber. “We’re thrilled to see the leading footwear brand will increase its current Atlanta workforce with the creation of 160 new jobs.”
The Georgia factory will be a 74,000-square-foot facility with its initial product focus on running shoes, the company said.
“For years our industry has been playing by the same rules manufacturing product remotely in Asia,” brand Group Executive Board Member Eric Liedtke, said in a news release. “As the creator brand that challenges convention and looks to co-create the future with our consumers, we are obsessed with bringing all steps of the creation process home to America.
Liedtke said the new factory “allows us to make product for the consumer, with the consumer, where the consumer lives in real time, unleashing unparalleled creativity and endless opportunities for customization in America.”
Adidas said it has a “mid-term” production goal of 500,000 shoes in multiple segments. Additional details were not immediately known.
“Georgia offers industry leaders such as Adidas the necessary resources to compete worldwide,” Gov. Nathan Deal said in the release. “Our state is emerging as a sports corridor for Southeastern U.S., and our business-friendly climate will be a match for Adidas’ new operation.”
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