Daikin awaits local, state financial assistance approval to open third Minnesota facility
June 20, 2018 | By Jillian Morgan
Inside Daikin’s Owatonna, MN facility. The company said it explored other site options outside of the U.S., in different regions of the US and in different Minnesota locations.
Daikin has set it sights on a new built-to-order manufacturing facility in Southern Minnesota, north of the city of Faribault, MN.
The company, which currently has two U.S. plants in Faribault and Owatonna, MN, respectively, is awaiting financial assistance approvals from the state’s Department of Employment and Economic Development, Rice County and the City of Faribault.
According to Daikin, financial approval at the local and state government levels is key to the project proceeding, and will allow the factory to come online in 2019.
Vice president and general manager Will Fort leads operations at both Minnesota plants, and will spearhead the development of this new factory.
“We have grown our operation within the city of Faribault over fifty years,” Fort said. “In 2000, we opened the Owatonna factory, and completed a major expansion there in 2014 to triple its size.”
Daikin Applied currently employs approximately 900 people in its factories in Southern Minnesota.
The company expects the new factory to add significant employment opportunities to the community. www.daikin.com
