Looking Ahead to Yaskawas Global Centennial Anniversary Celebration in 2015

Dayton, OH — The Motoman Robotics Division of Yaskawa America, Inc. (Yaskawa Motoman), a leading robotics company in the Americas, celebrates its 25th anniversary this month. The company, previously known as Motoman Inc., was formally incorporated on July 18, 1989 as a 50/50 joint venture between Hobart Brothers Company and Yaskawa Electric America, and began operations as a stand-alone entity in August 1989.

The company was launched with 59 employees and was considered a niche player in North America. Within just a few years, Motoman Inc. was considered a leading force in the Americas robot industry. In 1994, Motoman Inc. became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Yaskawa Electric Corporation (Kitakyushu, Japan), a worldwide leader in mechatronics and robots. The company has continued to expand its operations and product offerings and now has 11 facilities throughout the Americas, nearly 600 employees and over 35,000 robots installed.

The keys to Yaskawa Motomans success include commitment to stellar customer satisfaction, focus on delivering innovative automation solutions, dedicated employees, strong suppliers and a committed parent company.

"The past few years, weve added new team members and completed our first acquisition, providing new capabilities and skills that will take Yaskawa Motoman to the next level of technology and robotic solutions," states Steve Barhorst, Yaskawa Motomans president and COO. "Looking forward, we will continue to add new members to our growing team, and we are excited to see what the next 25 years will bring!"

Yaskawa Motoman, responsible for the Americas, is headquartered in Miamisburg, Ohio in a 300,000 sq ft state-of-the-art facility. The 25-acre site allows for an additional 200,000 sq ft building expansion.

Yaskawa Motoman has increased employment in the Dayton, Ohio area by approximately 35% since 2011 and continues to actively recruit additional employees to support its current growth. Yaskawa Motoman is also committed to supporting the nations STEM initiatives and promoting the use of robotics for education and workforce development.

Additional facilities are located in Rochester Hills, Michigan; Irvine, California; Austin, Texas; Canada (Mississauga, Ontario and Pointe Claire, Quebec); Mexico (Aguascalientes, Monterrey and Queretaro); and Brazil (Diadema - São Paulo).

Yaskawa Motoman will hold an internal celebration with employees to recognize their 25-year anniversary. Plans are underway to participate in Yaskawas 100-year global celebration in 2015 including an open house and customer appreciation events.

About Yaskawa Electric Corporation
Yaskawa is globally recognized for innovative technology and quality products, and holds the position as the worlds largest manufacturer of AC drives, motion control products and industrial robots. Yaskawa production and distribution facilities are located in 28 countries.
As a total business solution company, Yaskawa provides motion control, robotics, system engineering and information technologies. Yaskawa has also expanded into the environment and energy domain, as well as robotic/human co-existence for the service market. Currently Yaskawa has focused R&D efforts on several rehabilitation devices, and has established a strategic partnership with Argo Medical Technologies for specific efforts in medical/nursing care equipment.

About Yaskawa Motoman
Founded in 1989, the Motoman Robotics Division of Yaskawa America, Inc. is a leading robotics company in the Americas. With nearly 300,000 Motoman® robots installed globally, Yaskawa provides automation products and solutions for virtually every industry and robotic application; including arc welding, assembly, coating, dispensing, material handling, material cutting, material removal, packaging, palletizing and spot welding. For more information please visit our website at www.motoman.com or call 937.847.6200.