Hardinge Inc. Announces L. Kellenberger & Co. AG Plan to Merge its Eastern Switzerland Production Facilities in Goldach

ST. GALLEN, SWITZERLAND — January 21, 2020 – L. Kellenberger & Co. AG, a Hardinge Inc. company, manufacturer of CNC-grinding machines which was incorporated in 1917 and is currently located next to the “Espenmoos” stadium in St. Gallen with branches in Wittenbach, Romanshorn and Studen plan to merge its Eastern Switzerland production into a new facility in Goldach. It will lease a new building in the area “Tannäcker” in Goldach on a long-term basis which the St. Gallen real estate development firm Mettler2Invest AG will build within the next three years.

The production is currently spread over three facilities (St. Gallen, Wittenbach and Romanshorn) and the production facilities fall short of today’s requirements for efficient production flows. The machines weighing tons need to be moved from one facility to the other and from floor to floor frequently. Upon long and intense evaluations of potential options, Kellenberger – which belongs to Hardinge Inc. headquartered in Berwyn, Pennsylvania – executed terms with the St. Gallen real estate development firm Mettler2Invest AG for a long-term lease of new office and commercial facilities. Mettler2Invest AG will build these facilities along the requirements of L. Kellenberger & Co. AG in the “Tannäcker” area in Goldach. In turn, Mettler2Invest AG will take over the existing premises of L. Kellenberger & Co. AG at Heiligkreuzstrasse 28 in St. Gallen, but L. Kellenberger & Co. AG will lease these premises back until moving to the new premises in the “Tannäcker” area in about three years.

“This move is a mile stone in the over one-hundred-year history of Kellenberger and, at the same time, a commitment to Eastern Switzerland.  Kellenberger is happy to have its new location close to its existing site and hence close to the lake in order to offer our employees added value,” said Chuck Dougherty, CEO of Hardinge Inc.  “The new state-of-the-art production facilities which will be built in accordance with the requirements of Kellenberger will even better represent the innovative strength and the high-end technology provided by Hardinge and Kellenberger. The modernization and adaptation of the manufacturing environment and the production sequences will not only increase capacities at Kellenberger but also improve its efficiency. Kellenberger is very confident to have committed to a powerful partner in Mettler2Invest AG and to be welcomed into the municipality of Goldach.”

“We are proud and are very much looking forward to support an innovative enterprise such as L. Kellenberger & Co AG in its realization of new office and production facilities,” said Peter Mettler, CEO of Mettler2Invest AG.  “The new premises in Goldach will meet demanding requirements of a high-end production, simplify processes, reduce energy consumption and help Kellenberger to produce more efficiently. The manufacturer of high precision grinding machines will hence be ready to sustain in the highly competitive market as leading supplier.”  Peter is also excited and sees a great opportunity in developing Kellenberger’s existing location in the St. Fiden area of St. Gallen.

About Hardinge Inc.
Hardinge, Inc. is the trusted global provider of high precision, computer-controlled machine tool solutions for critical, hard-to-machine metal parts and advanced workholding accessories. With over 125 years of experience, Hardinge offers the largest variety of metal-cutting turning machines, grinding machines, machining centers, collets, chucks, index fixtures, repair parts, standard and specialty workholding devices, and other machine tool accessories. Hardinge’s solutions can be found in a broad base of industries including aerospace, agricultural, automotive, construction, consumer products, defense, energy, medical, technology, and transportation. Headquartered in Berwyn, PA, the company designs, manufactures, and distributes machine tools in over 65 countries across North America, Europe, and Asia. For more information about Hardinge, please visit us at hardinge.com.