Gerber Opens Tech Center in Shanghai
Gerber Technology Inc. has opened a 27,000-square-foot technology center in Shanghai, China, which will offer product demonstrations, software testing and equipment training to the region’s apparel and textile industries.
The company will officially open the center, to be called the Gerber Advanced Technology Center, on Sept. 7 and will host a banquet on Sept. 9 at the Shanghai Grand Theater, which more than 400 dignitaries and apparel industry executives are expected to attend.
The center will be located in the Caohejing Hi-Tech Park. It will also house Gerber’s engineering center and its Shanghaibased sales and service staff.
Gerber President James Arthurs said the company has invested more than $2 million in the project and anticipates the demand for technology will rise when quotas are lifted next year.
“Apparel manufacturers will be compelled to automate in order to survive,” Arthurs said. “For the last three years, China has been our second-largest market after the U.S.
“The region is an important one, particularly for apparel, furniture and automotive manufacturers,” he said. “More recently, we have begun serving aerospace companies. So, with a total of 24 locations, we can be where our customers need us. We expect to have approximately 200 personnel in China by the end of this year, an increase of over 50 percent in 12 months.” —R.M.
