Industry News
Lectra Brings Production Back In-House with the Inauguration of its Manufacturing Facility in Tolland, Connecticut
Lectra, a major global player in the fashion, furniture, and automotive markets, celebrated the inauguration of its manufacturing facility in Tolland, Connecticut. The implementation of operations in this facility marks an important milestone in Lectra’s 2023-2025 strategic roadmap as the company expedites bringing manufacturing in-house for improved quality and customer satisfaction.
With this additional factory, Lectra’s complete line of single-ply cutters, including the Z1, Taurus, and DCS series, will be manufactured in-house, enabling Lectra to meet customer demands quicker, while reducing lead times by 60 percent. A larger investment in inventory coupled with a move toward leaner and more modern production systems will also enable Lectra to provide a higher quality service for customers.
April 4, 2023, marked the inauguration ceremony of the manufacturing facility in Tolland. Daniel Harari, CEO of Lectra, honored the occasion with a ribbon-cutting ceremony along with the company’s executive leadership team, who toured the facility to observe the extensive manufacturing workspace and industry-leading equipment. Media across the fashion, furniture, and textile markets attended the event, in addition to members of leading industry associations. Connecticut state representative and Tolland’s town manager were also in attendance.
“A big part of our strategy is focused on manufacturing in-house and across our main regions. The opening of our Tolland manufacturing facility will enable us to better control production,” said Daniel Harari. “It will also enable us to hire more employees and give back to the communities where we live and work. As we look to the future, our focus remains on providing best-in-class Industry 4.0 solutions for our customers and further developing our three strategic market sectors.”
At the ribbon-cutting event, Daniel Harari described Lectra’s 4.0 strategy and outlined the Corporate Social Responsibility pillar, aimed at integrating social, ethical, and environmental responsibilities within Lectra’s strategy. The facility will enable Lectra to reduce the environmental footprint of its activities and contribute to the design of eco-responsible offers, as part of the company’s global commitment to sustainability.
Lectra is a Paris, France-based textile software and automation technology manufacturer that serves the fashion, automotive, and furniture markets.
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Lectra Chief Industrial Officer Eric Lespinasse, CEO Daniel Harari and Leonard Marano, president of the Americas, stand inside the French company’s newly renovated Gerber Technology manufacturing facility in Tolland.
Lectra, which reported US$569 million in revenue in 2022 and with more than 2,500 employees globally, was founded in 1973 and has grown its footprint through acquisitions, including more than a half-dozen deals since 2018. It purchased Gerber Technology in June 2021.
Gerber was founded in Connecticut in 1968 by Joseph Gerber, an Austria-born Holocaust survivor who has been described by some as the Thomas Edison of manufacturing for developing computer-automated manufacturing systems.
As part of a strategic plan that focuses on accelerating its adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies, Lectra has decided to organize its industrial operations around three sites in France, China, and Tolland.
The company spent the last 18 months preparing to relaunch manufacturing operations at its Connecticut facility, clearing out space previously used for inventory and storage, said Lectra Chief Industrial Officer Eric Lespinasse.
“We decided at the end of 2021 to reintegrate everything internally, the main reason was that we wanted to increase the level of quality,” Lespinasse said. “We also wanted to have more control of costs that you get when you do everything internally.”
Leonard Marano, president of the Americas for Lectra, said the two companies have “integrated incredibly well” since the acquisition, which he credited to the familiarity they had with each other as close competitors for decades.
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