Yamazaki Mazak, the world’s largest manufacturer of metal cutting machine tools, is preparing for opening its first Polish Technology Center. The company already moved to the new building from a former office located on Sobieskiego St. The grand opening is planned for March, however the Mazak’s seat was showed us today.
The new headquarters consist of 400 sq. meters two-storey part of office space including conference, meeting and training rooms, and a one-storey hall covering 500 sq. meters. The hall is not only the exhibition area of the company’s products but above all a place where Polish specialists will get professional training. Five of seven planned machines were already delivered and are being prepared for work.
“We will be able to provide a complete customer service in the Technology Center in Katowice. We focus on technical and technological support for users of machine tools produced by Yamazaki Mazak. Generally, the trainings will be addressed to our customers, we will also invite students of secondary schools and the technical university to let them see how the machines work. Organization of internships is also planned” – says PhD Tadeusz Szczepanik, Director of Yamazaki Mazak Central Europe Department in Poland.
Moreover, the Technology Center implements the company’s latest technologies in metalworking. A skilled engineering staff works on technology solutions depending on customers and adjusts it to its needs. For example, Mazak’s metal cutting machine tools, including laser processing, can be programmed by the staff to produce unique elements required by the individual customer.
Engineers are a great majority of the hired staff working in the trade, technology and service departments. The team of almost 20 engineers will be expanded during the year. “One engineer from Japan already joined our crew. We expect one more in the months to come. However, Katowice section consists in Polish employees” – he says.
The skilled workers are pointed out as one of three main reasons deciding the company set up its country’s Technology Center in Katowice. Additionally, the Poland’s base director mentions the importance of location of major Polish industry units in the region and a good communication context of the City.
The facility is located in the “Załęże” district between the “DTŚ” expressway and Gliwicka St. opposite the Auchan shopping center. As the elevation is mostly finished with a black and gray iron, the interiors are dominated by white colour. “It is a standard in our facilities right now required by the Japanese owners” – Szczepanik explains. The construction work had been launched in March 2011 and was finished in December last year. It was conducted by the Japanese firm Takenaka Europe which raises all buildings of Mazak situated on the continent.
Yamazaki Mazak was founded in 1919 in Nagoya, Japan, by Sadakichi Yamazaki. He began to manufacture a straw mat weaving machinery. In the 1960s Yamazaki Mazak entered the international arena, starting to export its products to the U.S. Currently it has nine manufacturing facilities (5 in Japan, one in Singapore, China, USA and UK), 36 Technology Centers and employs approximately 7 000 people worldwide. The firm produces multi-tasking machines, CNC turning centers, CNC laser processing machines, vertical and horizontal machining centers. Mazak machines tools are used to produce, among others, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes F1 racing cars. The company is also an official supplier and supporter of the F1 team.
