Lely North America broke ground Oct. 22 on a new 60 acre campus in Pella, Iowa that will include a new, 100,000 square foot facility to house manufacturing and professional space along with a state-of-the-art training facility.
Currently, Lely manufactures its Astronaut A% robotic milking system and Luna cow brushes at its existing facility in Pella. The new site will allow the company to manufacture additional products in the Lely portfolio.
“With a much larger site plan established, we have the flexibility and designs in place to further expand as the level of adoption of automation expands and new technology continues to be introduced,” says Chad Huyser, president of Lely North America.
The company plans to move all of its current operations from existing facilities under one roof upon completion, expected to open in the first quarter of 2022. Lely first came to Pella 10 years ago with a robotic milking assembly plant located on the campus of Vermeer Corporation.
Lely’s new building plan incorporates many cutting edge, sustainable features into the design. The facility will pursue LEED certification, with an overall emphasis on connecting the physical structure of the facility to the surrounding Iowa prairie landscape. Note: LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification provides independent verification of a building’s environmental features, allowing for the design, construction, operations and maintenance of resource-efficient, high-performing, healthy, cost-effective buildings.
