Lely announced plans for its new North American campus in 2019 and officially held the groundbreaking ceremony on Oct. 22 at the company’s new location in Pella, Iowa. Lely North America president Chad Huyser led the event, and the new campus, which spans nearly 60 acres, is expected to open in the first quarter of 2022.

“This acquisition and expansion for our new campus will allow Lely to further support the North American dairy industry and our Lely Center distribution partners across the U.S. and Canada,” Huyser stated. “This first phase of buildout will accommodate our needs today and into the future. With a much larger site plan established, we have the flexibility and designs in place to further expand as the level of adoption of automation expands and new technology continues to be introduced.”

Huyser was joined by several special guests at the groundbreaking, including Iowa Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg and Pella Mayor Don DeWaard. Also in attendance were Lely’s Iowa-based team members, and a video simulcast reached Lely employees across North America.

The company plans to move all of its current operations from existing facilities under one roof upon completion. The new facility includes approximately 100,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing and professional space as well as a state-of-the-art training facility for use by employees and Lely’s distribution partners throughout North America. The current production activities include manufacturing of the Lely Astronaut A5 robotic milking system and Lely Luna cow brushes, but the new facility adds the ability to manufacture additional products in the company's portfolio.

“As we have been on this journey to bring automation and technology solutions forward in North America for more than 20 years, we are also excited to continue to invest in the North American dairy and livestock industry with this new campus expansion,” Lely Group chief executive officer Andre van Troost said. "Our first investment in facilities came more than 10 years ago in Pella, and we are proud to further that commitment toward the local community, the state of Iowa and, most importantly, our dairy producers across North America."

Recognized for groundbreaking innovations through its vision of “Creating a Sustainable, Profitable & Enjoyable Future in Farming,” Lely’s new building plan incorporates many cutting-edge, sustainable features into the design. The facility will pursue LEED certification, with an overall emphasis on connecting the physical structure of the building to the surrounding Iowa prairie landscape.

Lely said its new North American headquarters further emphasizes its commitment to Pella and capitalizes on the city and state’s support of growing manufacturing companies, excellent work force availability and central location to the organization’s target market. As an international, family-owned business, Lely has been a leader in the dairy industry for more than 25 years and remains the only dairy automation company that produces robotic equipment in North America. With this expansion, the company said it looks forward to better meeting the needs of its customers, Lely centers and employees throughout the U.S. and Canada.