Owens Design, a Fremont, California-based industrial automation business with extensive experience creating unique solutions for customers in high-tech industries, was acquired by Automated Industrial Robotics(AIR).
The deal enhances AIR’s capacity to provide its global customers with cutting-edge automation solutions and to coordinate engineering expertise throughout its footprint in the US, UK, and Ireland. In addition to an equity investment from the executive team of Owens Design, AIR also obtained funding for the deal from an Ares Management Private Equity fund.
Since 1983, Owens Design has provided comprehensive and tailored automation solutions to assist customers increase production and market their products more quickly.
For extremely complex design-build and factory automation projects in semiconductor manufacturing, renewable energy, data storage, medical products, and other emerging technology end industries, Owens Design collaborates with OEMs and manufacturers ranging from start-ups to large publicly traded corporations.
With the help of about 100 seasoned employees and a 60,000-square-foot facility in Silicon Valley, Owens Design has built a reputation for engineering prowess and a tried-and-true development methodology that has produced more than 3,000 custom tools to date.
AIR’s presence in the rapidly expanding semiconductor manufacturing is greatly increased with the addition of Owens Design.
Additionally, AIR anticipates applying these concepts to other important end markets, such as pharmaceuticals and medical products, by utilizing Owens Design’s proven capabilities in the semiconductor manufacturing industry, such as its clean room facilities, ultra-high precision handling expertise, and cutting-edge quality management systems.
After this deal, AIR now employs more than 530 people and operates an automation hub that occupies more than 400,000 square feet worldwide.
Leadership Comments
AIR Executive Chairman Brian Klos and Chief Executive Officer Darragh de Stonndún said, “We are honored to partner with Bob and the entire Owens Design team on this exciting next chapter, which we believe brings a world-class business with truly differentiated automation capabilities and an impressive breadth of industry experience to the AIR platform. Importantly, the addition of Owens Design marks another transformative step as we work to further link the engineering excellence across AIR’s growing footprint and more effectively deliver cutting-edge, scaled manufacturing to our global customer base.”
Bob Fung, Chief Executive Officer of Owens Design, said, “I am proud of what Owens Design has been able to achieve in over 40 years as an independent company. In AIR, we have found a partner who shares our values of serving customers while creating a rewarding environment for our team members to challenge themselves and grow. AIR brings scale, geographic diversity and exceptional automation experience that will enable Owens Design to realize the significant growth opportunity in front of us. I look forward to continuing my leadership of Owens Design as part of AIR.”
Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
