Festool's first U.S. production line

[TOOLTOWN]

I doubt this is going to be a trend. Making guide rails here makes sense for a lot of reasons:

• Manufacturing is not complex as it entails outsourced extrusions, a single automated line and probably one person with limited training
• Shipping the rails was probably costly due to their unwieldy nature
• Likely this is an effort to expand worldwide production capacity without taking up room in another manufacturing plant
• Raw materials inventory is limited to extrusions, stickers and 2 flavors of strips
• May be some advantage to exporting to Canada and Mexico from the US versus EU
• Eliminates exchange rate fluctuations

Given that this is probably the only item in the lineup that does not involve complex assembly my hunch is this is a limited endeavor and I'd be surprised to see more production come to the US.

Then again, I may be all wet.

RMW

Along these lines I could imagine systainers being not far behind.  Relatively simple and low raw parts inventory.  Plus, shipping a systainer is mostly just shipping air. 

But that's just my conspiracy theory...

Ken

 

[peter halle]

I doubt that Systainers are on the near horizon.  Actually made by a "sister company". 

Totally correct about shipping air though.  I doubt that there is enough ancillary penetration of the product in NA although so many of us like them.

Peter

 

[semenza]

Nope. Not going off the road on that political / social topic. It will do no good for the FOG or anyone posting about it. The issue would not be resolved helped or hindered by a debate on FOG. But instead, a whole bunch of ill will would be generated.

Also this forum is not the place for such a debate.  FOG is primarily a forum to discuss Festool power tools and related topics.

Some posts were removed. 

I suggest that anyone having an issue with an image presented by Festool take it up with them directly.

Seth

FOG Moderator

 

[acer66]

Is there an update what they are making here?

 

[peter halle]

Is there an update what they are making here?

[member=57769]TylerC[/member] anything to share?

Peter

 

[TylerC]

This fall we’re expanding our Lebanon facility, and part of that will be used for additional production. I’m not sure how much has been finalized and how many details I can share at this point. Honestly, we’re out of space, so — and this is more speculation than official word — we need the new building before we can add too many more production lines.

Here’s a recent article from the Indianapolis Business Journal about the expansion:https://www.ibj.com/articles/69561-high-end-tool-maker-expanding-again-in-lebanon-adding-65-jobs

 

[pixelated]

I'm curious, are the Lebanon-manufactured rails labeled as made in US? I just bought an 800mm rail, and the box says "made in Germany", and I don't see any country of origin labeling on the rail.

 

[Cheese]

I'm curious, are the Lebanon-manufactured rails labeled as made in US? I just bought an 800mm rail, and the box says "made in Germany", and I don't see any country of origin labeling on the rail.

Here's some earlier input from Tyler.

The LR and FS 5000 will not be part of the initial launch. All other lengths will be included.

At this point, this shouldn't change the product offerings. All of this could change at some point. We're starting fairly small with plans to continue growing.

 

[Michael Kellough]

Maybe I missed a post but I haven’t read anything to indicate that Festool is planning to extrude aluminum in Lebanon or anywhere else in the USA. I rather doubt Festool extrudes aluminum in Germany.

The extrusion part of making guide rails seems like something they would sub-contract to a company with an existing factory. Sorting lengths for quality control, attaching glide and friction strips etc. and packing is what I imagine might be done in Lebanon.

 

[Cheese]

The first production line will be for assembly of the FS Guide Rails.

That doesn't appear to be an extruder, does that mean the bare extrusions are still made in Germany?

Extrusion for these rails will be done in the U.S. but not as part of the production line in Lebanon.

Here ya go Michael...an earlier post.

 

[Michael Kellough]

Thanks [member=44099]Cheese[/member] maybe I read this before and forgot.