Comer Industries Inaugurates New Industrial USA Hub in Rockford, Illinois

In the presence of Chairman and CEO Matteo Storchi, U.S. Senators and institutional representatives, Comer Industries inaugurated the Group’s new industrial hub in Rockford, following an expansion and redevelopment programme launched in 2023 and supported by a total investment of approximately $50 million.

More than €540M Invested Over Past Five Years

It forms part of the Group’s international development path of recent years. Over the past five years, Comer Industries has invested more than €540 million, both to strengthen organic growth through product and process innovation and to accelerate external growth, expanding its international footprint and consolidating its global positioning.

This path has successfully combined development with value creation, ensuring significant returns for investors while maintaining the Group’s overall financial strength through disciplined management.

The new Rockford plant

The Rockford project breathes new life into a historic manufacturing site that has been operating since the 1960s, in the heart of an area with a strong manufacturing tradition and a longstanding focus on mechanical engineering. Following the expansion, the industrial site—dedicated to the production and assembly of components and systems for agricultural and industrial applications, including gearboxes, axles and transmission systems—now covers approximately 57,000 square metres of indoor space, nearly twice its previous size. This will enable Comer Industries to consolidate activities and expertise previously distributed across several locations.

Rockford’s increased manufacturing capacity will also strengthen relationships with, and service capabilities for, major international manufacturers in the agricultural and industrial sectors, while enabling the Group to seize new growth opportunities in the North American market.

Rockford therefore becomes the industrial centre of gravity for Comer Industries USA, Inc., the new company established in 2026 to bring together and coordinate the Group’s U.S. operations. The 360 employees working in Rockford, representing six nationalities—American, Italian, Mexican, Thai, Chinese and German—embody the combination of the Group’s expertise and positioning with the area’s strong engineering and manufacturing culture.

The investment is part of the Group’s “G-Local” strategy, which combines an increasingly global presence—confirmed by the recent acquisition of Nabtesco Corporation’s Hydraulic Equipment division in Japan—with the growing localisation of production in its key markets. The aim is to increase proximity to customers, reduce supply-chain complexity and strengthen the Group’s ability to respond swiftly to changes in the international economic and commercial environment.

The United States is currently one of Comer Industries’ strategic markets, accounting for approximately 20% of Group revenues. The objective is to further accelerate growth in the region, targeting revenues of more than $400 million over the next five years.

Insights

“The inauguration of the Rockford plant is a significant milestone in Comer Industries’ growth journey in the United States. It is the result of a strategic decision taken several years ago, well before the international changes that today make its value even more evident,” said Matteo Storchi, Chairman and CEO of Comer Industries. “We chose to invest significantly in this market in order to strengthen local production capacity and increase our proximity to customers. Our strategy is to be global in our presence and capabilities, while becoming increasingly local in production and service.”

“The development Comer Industries has experienced in recent years is the result of this shared, long-term growth vision,” Storchi added. “These have been ambitious entrepreneurial choices, always supported by discipline and close attention to the Group’s solidity. Today, Comer Industries is a more international, competitive and innovative Group, able to seize new opportunities while continuing to create value for all its stakeholders.”

“Investing during the most challenging market phases means preparing the company for future growth,” Storchi concluded. “Strengthening our presence in the United States makes us even more resilient to supply-chain disruptions and international trade dynamics, creating the conditions to capture new market share.”