High-tech machinery company to relocate headquarters from Chicago area to Hillsborough County

September 5, 2018

Automated Industrial Machinery, Inc. to hire more than 45 local employees

TAMPA, Fla. – (September 5, 2018) – Automated Industrial Machinery, Inc. (AIM), a premier CNC wire bending machine supplier serving customers worldwide, today announced that it will relocate its headquarters from Addison, Ill. to Hillsborough County. The company will hire 45 local employees and invest more than $4 million in the building purchase, renovations, equipment and machinery.

Founded in 1992, AIM Inc. has grown to become the premier CNC wire bending machine supplier serving customers worldwide. The latest in technology wire bending equipment manufacturing is coming to Florida: AIM Inc. manufactures two- and three-dimensional CNC wire bending machinery for customers in more than 58 countries. AIM manufactures 48 different models serving the automotive, aerospace, military, medical, point-of-purchase display, refrigeration, food service, agricultural and storage industries.

“After two years of extensive research and the examination of six states, I found that the state of Florida is the best choice to relocate my company,” said Constantine Grapsas, President of AIM. “I fell in love with Tampa from my first visit. Besides a much better quality of life, Tampa offers a significantly friendlier business climate than Chicago, and Tampa’s outstanding international airport makes it easy to travel for our clients around the world. The Tampa EDC and Enterprise Florida have been extremely helpful and accommodating to work with during this process. I wish I had done this research 27 years ago.”

In addition to moving its headquarters to Tampa, AIM is starting a new company that will revolutionize the orthodontic appliance industry: Advanced Orthodontic Solutions, Inc. (AOS). The new company will manufacture micro wire bending machines for the manufacturing of orthodontic appliances and sleep apnea industry, providing equipment with superior accuracy at a fraction of the time of the currently manual operations. New models are set to be released for production in September 2018.

AIM purchased a 52,900-square-foot building located at 14101 McCormick Drive in Tampa. The two companies plan to hire 45 local employees for a variety of positions ranging from engineering, sales, marketing, administration, component manufacturing, and assembly with an average salary of $58,000.

The project was made possible through strong partnerships between Enterprise Florida, the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation, Hillsborough County and the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.

“Hillsborough County offers AIM the pro-business climate, favorable quality of life, and highly-skilled talent they were in search of for their headquarters,” said Sandra Murman, Chairman of the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners. “We thank AIM for choosing our community, and we look forward to supporting them as they settle into their new home in Hillsborough County.”

AIM joins a growing list of companies that have chosen to relocate their headquarters to Hillsborough County recently, including Resistacap Energy Products, The Mosaic Company, and Vendita Technology Group.

“AIM is just one of many leading manufacturing companies that have decided to take advantage of the excellent talent and quality of life our region has to offer,” said Alan F. List, MD, chairman of the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation and president and CEO of Moffitt Cancer Center. “We’re excited AIM chose Tampa, and our EDC team is committed to helping them engage with the local business community and connect them to the resources they need to prosper in this market.”

Interested candidates are encouraged to visit the Careers page AIM’s web site, https://www.aimmachines.com/career-openings/.

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Automated Industrial Machinery, Inc. (AIM) manufactures multi-dimensional CNC wire bending equipment. Founded in 1992 by Constantine Grapsas, AIM has grown to become the premier CNC wire bending machine manufacturer supplying customers worldwide. The first product line was the AccuSpiral, a CNC wire forming machine used for production of spiral shapes primarily for HVAC fan guards. Since then, AIM has grown its product line to more than 48 models of 2D and 3D CNC wire benders to support such industries as automotive, aerospace, military, medical, point-of-purchase display, refrigeration, food service, storage, material handling, agricultural and other OEM applications.

With technical sales representatives throughout North America, Europe, and in strategic locations throughout the globe, AIM supplies the world with wire manufacturing automation solutions.  AIM has made significant installations in Europe, India, Asia, Australia, North and South America (https://www.aimmachines.com/clients/).

 
Enterprise Florida, Inc. (EFI) is a partnership between Florida’s businesses and government leaders and is the principal economic development organization for Florida. EFI facilitates job growth for Florida businesses through recruitment and retention, international trade and exporting, promotion of sporting events, and capital funding programs to assist small and minority businesses.

Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation is the lead designated economic development agency for Hillsborough County and the cities of Tampa, Plant City and Temple Terrace.  Established in 2009 as a partnership between the public sector and private corporate investors, the EDC works to develop and sustain a thriving local economy through the attraction, retention and expansion of high-wage jobs and capital investment within targeted industry sectors, including Corporate Headquarters, Financial and Shared Services, Life Sciences, Defense and Security, and Manufacturing.

The EDC exists because of the generous support of more than 100 corporations, Hillsborough County, and the cities of Tampa, Plant City and Temple Terrace.

About Hillsborough County, Florida
Hillsborough County is the commercial and industrial heart of Tampa Bay. The fourth largest county in the state of Florida, Hillsborough is home to nearly 1.3 million residents, with thousands more arriving each year. Its strength is drawn from being one of the most advanced economies and having one of the most educated workforces in the state. Hillsborough County and its three municipalities –Tampa, Plant City, and Temple Terrace — offer a competitive business environment and an abundance of regional assets including Port Tampa Bay, Tampa International Airport, and MacDill Air Force Base. County government is focused on creating economic prosperity for residents and businesses throughout the area. To learn more, visit hillsboroughcounty.org.