Bosch Rexroth Canada Customer eXperience centre Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Bosch Rexroth Canada held a grand opening ceremony on September 15 to unveil its new customer experience centre in Burlington, Ontario.

In attendance at the event were top company officials, including Trevor Osborne, general manager of Bosch Rexroth Canada, Gregory Gumbs, CEO and president of Bosch Rexroth North America, Karl-Philippe Clement, vice-president of sales development at Bosch Rexroth in Germany and John Mataya, C.F.O. and director of operations, finance and administration at Bosch Rexroth Canada. The company also invited its customers to the event, offering them a guided tour of the facility and treating them to a day of fun-filled activities.

Member of Parliament, the Honourable Karina Gould, was also expected to be present at the event. However, she was unable to join in as she was in Ottawa to pay her respects to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

A cobot lends a helping hand

As a company focused on offering automation products, Bosch Rexroth Canada commenced the event in style. A cobot from recently-acquired Kassow Robots untied the ribbon to officially open the customer experience centre. Not to be outdone by the machine, Gumbs and Osborne cut a second ribbon with a giant pair of scissors, amidst a thundering round of applause from the attendees.

The leadership team welcomes attendees

Ahead of the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Osborne began his welcome address with land acknowledgements.

“Today, this land is home to many Indigenous peoples. Acknowledging ensures we reflect on our past, on today and what changes can be made to further the reconciliation process. And it reminds us that the great standard of living that we enjoy is directly related to the resources and friendship of the Indigenous people who make up our community,” he said.

Narrating the journey of the new facility, Osborne recalled how four members of the team, including himself, toured the local area in January 2021 looking at potential sites. The current location at 3426 Mainway, Burlington, Ont., was the first site that they visited. It did not have walls or finishing. It was clear to the team that the location was ideal for the customer experience centre. Osborne shared that the journey to building the centre certainly had its challenges, including COVID-19, city permits, labour strikes, floor coatings and last-minute requirements to get occupancy sign-off, to name a few. He thanked the team involved in bringing the new facility to fruition.

Osborne promised all customers that they would leave the facility at the end of the day with a much better understanding of Bosch Rexroth and how the company can specifically enhance relationships in Canada.

Gumbs in his turn welcomed all attendees to the event. “It is such a wonderful opportunity to have you all here celebrating the opening of the Burlington facility,” he said.

He further added, “Today marks a new day for the opening of a new chapter of our business in Canada. It is a new journey and a reinforcement of our Canadian market and our customers. When I walked into the building yesterday for the first time after seeing the tape on the floors, a dusty environment, there were five words that came in mind right away – renewal, inspiration, commitment, collaboration and partnership. This investment is really important for us.”

Gumbs presented a plaque to Osborne and the Bosch Rexroth Canada team after explaining its significance.

“In celebration of the opening of our Burlington experience centre, we present a plaque of our D.C. North America vision and mission, ‘True North’. True North exemplifies the pillar on which we base the foundation of our D.C. North America identity. Customers, people and solutions – that is what this is all about,” explained Gumbs.

He further explained that making up the customer part of the compass is the colour closely resembling a sapphire. Gumbs noted that worn by both religious and secular leaders since ancient times, the sapphire allows people to channel their inner wisdom to bring about wealth and prosperity.

“Conjuring images of the sky and sea, the colour blue symbolises intuition, imagination and inspiration – all perfect qualities for a place where we innovate with our customers. Today at the opening of our Bosch Rexroth customer experience centre in Burlington, we present the sapphire as not only the symbol of all the new and exciting opportunities which will be born here but also of the intuition and creativity of the people who envisioned them,” he added.

An eventful day at the facility

The customers attending the opening ceremony had a full day of activities ready for them after the ribbon-cutting ceremony. The top leaders each took turns to offer a better insight into Bosch Rexroth’s operations and plans for further growth.

Osborne explained how the company came to Canada, what the organizational culture is and the principles it follows. He explained that growth can be achieved by working together with different stakeholders.

Mataya shared how the company is investing in its facilities in Canada to grow further in the region. “With investments throughout Canada, we will strive to achieve an enrichment to the customer experience, further our reach in the Canadian market place, enhance our ability to retain and attract talent,” said Mataya.

Further expanding on the investment projects, he shared that its regional facilities in Quebec and Alberta are being renovated.

Clement offered a broader view of the company, sharing the company’s history and its operations in Germany. Gumbs ended the presentations with an overview of Bosch Rexroth’s North American projects and operations.

Keeping the experience rich for the customers throughout the day, the Bosch Rexroth team treated all attendees to a sumptuous lunch at noon. The lunch hour also offered everyone the opportunity to network.

Organised facility tours were arranged in the afternoon when the customers, divided in small groups, were able to take a look at what was on offer for them. The Bosch Rexroth team explained the inspiration behind the colours and design. Customers had an enjoyable time with the interactive product displays arranged for them. They were shown the various collaboration spaces set up for them throughout the facility to come in and work with the company’s team.

The day ended on a high note with the Bosch Rexroth team taking all customers to the Wayne Gretzky winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake.