Founded in 1987, Modula is an international group based out of Italy that manufactures automated storage and retrieval systems. The company is high-tech and rapidly growing, especially within the North American market.

“Modula is facing impressive growth worldwide at a pace of almost 25% year over year in the last five years, and particularly in the North American market we faced a further acceleration in the last two years,” said Antonio Pagano, CEO of Modula Inc.

The rate of success in North America was a prime opportunity for the company to capitalize on current and future potential. Modula set out to find a location for its second U.S. manufacturing facility, which needed to be close to customers and have the flexibility to handle both its immediate manufacturing needs and future expansions. JobsOhio and its regional partner in southwest Ohio, REDI Cincinnati, came together with sites and a plan on how to set up Modula for further success.

Modula’s initial plan was to establish separate facilities for its manufacturing operation and its logistics hub.

Knowing the company’s needs, as well as its current and future goals, JobsOhio and REDI Cincinnati presented the company with the historic former home of the Dayton Daily News printing plant. The facility met all of Modula’s manufacturing needs and encompassed every aspect of the company’s vision for expansion, including capacity for Modula to grow. Moreover, proximity to customers and a robust infrastructure could support faster and more efficient product delivery, allowing Modula to turn the facility into a combined manufacturing and logistics hub.

In June 2019, at the SelectUSA conference in Washington, D.C., Pagano joined U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, and JobsOhio President and Chief Investment Officer J.P. Nauseef to announce that it would invest $26.5 million at the former Dayton Daily News site in Franklin, Ohio, where it would create 100 new jobs.

“After an accurate analysis, we chose Ohio — and particularly the Cincinnati area — because of the excellent location, the great industrial presence, and the high professionalism of JobsOhio and REDI Cincinnati, who helped us in the whole process,” said Pagano. “We are sure that Modula will have a positive impact in the community of Franklin, and are excited to start our new adventure there.”

Ingenuity and innovation have always been the backbone of Ohio’s advanced manufacturing industry and Ohio’s role as an industry leader is more vital than ever as companies embrace technology. With the third-largest manufacturing workforce in the U.S., the industry’s size alone gives manufacturers confidence that everything they need to prosper is in Ohio. For Modula, Ohio’s industry could support the company’s bold target for production.

“Our target is to progressively establish a production capacity of 2,000 Vertical Lift Modules (VLM) per year in this building,” said Modula Chairman Franco Stefani. “The highly automated production process is in line with the high technological level of our VLM products, and the warehouse management systems software that goes with them. We are willing to invest in the rich, dynamic and skilled human capital of this region who are able to work in an Industry 4.0 advanced environment.”

Modula’s investment exemplifies the ongoing efforts by JobsOhio and its partners to attract global companies to Ohio. By combining resources and expertise, this network eases the decision-making process by providing solutions that address both current and future goals, setting these companies up for long-term success in Ohio.