Fort Wayne, Indiana, August 2025 (Trelleborg release) — Trelleborg Sealing Solutions announced a significant expansion of its Innovation Center in Minnesota, US, to take on additional projects and accelerate the design and development cycle for customers.
The Innovation Center — currently in the city of Plymouth — will concurrently move to a new purpose-built space in nearby Delano comprising over 45,000 square feet.
Mel Melehes, regional sales director for North America, says: “We know that speed to market and high quality, reliable supply are critical factors in our customer partnerships. With increased capabilities, the Innovation Center is a dedicated space with personnel possessing decades of combined experience. It enables customers to work with design, materials and quality experts throughout the entire life cycle of a project.”
This project involves a remodel of the tool shop and room for expansion, 6,000 square feet in total. It also includes nearly 40,000 square feet of new construction comprising a visitor center, additional high-end Swiss machining, injection molding and increased space for the automation laboratory.
Chris Tellers, Innovation Center and New Product Development Director, says: “The visitor center will be a collaborative, high-tech meeting area where customers can brainstorm on project ideas alongside our experts. The additional Swiss machining and injection molding will enhance our in-house capabilities to provide the highest quality components fast without relying on outside shops.
“The increased automation space provides scalability to support future projects,” Tellers continues. “We continually hear from customers that they choose us for our expertise in tooling, technical solutions and ability to assist with everything from prototyping to serial production enhanced with automation. This remodel and expansion project enables us to continue doing that but on a larger scale, utilizing more equipment and experts added through our new apprenticeship program.”
The Innovation Center move and expansion project is scheduled to start in the spring of 2026 with a scheduled completion date of early 2027.
