3D printing giant Stratasys’
love affair with the Startup Nation is nothing new; it merged with
Israeli company Objet in 2012 and moved its headquarters to the central Israeli
city of Rehovot. Now Stratasys announced that its newest plant in Israel
will be the most advanced 3D printer factory in the world.
by Maya Yarowsky, NoCamels
The company plans to open the world’s most advanced 3D printer
manufacturing company in Kiryat Gat, a southern Israeli city that is already
home to tech giants like Intel, which recently injected $6 billion into its
chip plant there, HP, Kinetics and many more. Though little is known about the
new plant, which opened this past Monday, Stratasys CEO David Reis said that
the plant will hire hundreds of new employees in the southern and coastal
regions of Israel, a statement that made Finance Minister Yair Lapid more than
happy. At the inauguration of the plant, Lapid praised Stratasys technological
breakthroughs and its keen commitment to keep its industry and manufacturing in
Israel.
Indeed, Stratasys is a source for Israeli pride; the company is in
the country’s top-ten stocks traded abroad with an impressive market cap of $6
million. In addition, the company invests in the native ecosystem by hiring
local engineers, developers and employees, and by establishing offices across
Israel. Though Stratasys originated as an American company, founded by S. Scott
Crump in Minnesota, the industry-leader quickly realized the talent and
development potential in Israel.
Now the company is quickly sealing its place as one of the biggest
3D printing companies in the world. Last year Stratasys acquired the creator of
the 3D printers for at-home use, MakerBot, as well as Solid Concepts this
summer, the world leader in rapid prototyping through 3D printing (also known
as additive manufacturing).