Adidas to open US factory

In a surprising move for any big clothing manufacturer, Adidas has announced plans to open a factory in the US.

The new factory will be built in Atlanta and open next year. The German company currently creates most of its products in Asia.

Adidas calls this facility a ‘Speedfactory’ and will use state-of-the-art robotic technology to create its shoes at the quickest pace yet.

Of course, the human touch will still be required: Adidas will hire around 160 new staff in Atlanta.

It is expected that 50,000 shoes will be manufactured at the Speedfactory in the third and fourth quarters of 2017, with a view for it to rise to 500,000 in 2018.

The potential success of robot-led manufacturing is currently under scrutiny, as Under Armour recently opened its own in Baltimore.  

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