MELBOURNE, Ark. — Advanced manufacturing company Oobotic has established its first production facility in Melbourne, Arkansas, with plans to invest approximately $6.5 million and create up to 70 jobs over the next four years, the company announced.
“Oobotic is pleased to establish operations in Melbourne and become part of the local community,” said Billy Faver, plant manager for Oobotic. “This facility will support our manufacturing activities in the United States and provide a foundation for future growth.”
The approximately 97,000-square-foot facility at 2262 La Crosse Road will utilize automated manufacturing processes to produce a variety of consumer products, initially focusing on electronic products and other manufactured goods.
The Melbourne facility is also supporting U.S. box fan manufacturing for Aspen Appliance Inc., using advanced AI-enabled automation to build scalable domestic production capacity.
“Aspen Appliance Inc. is proud to support U.S. box fan manufacturing through our collaborative project with Oobotic in Melbourne,” said Jason Liszewski, Vice President of Sales for Aspen Appliance Inc. “Reshoring production to the United States must be done strategically, and we believe advanced AI-enabled automation is a key part of making domestic manufacturing scalable, competitive, and reliable for our retail partners.”
Clint O’Neal, Executive Director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, said the company’s decision is a positive development for north-central Arkansas.
“Oobotic’s decision to locate in Melbourne is a positive development for the region and will bring new employment opportunities to north-central Arkansas,” O’Neal said. “We appreciate the company’s investment in Arkansas and look forward to supporting its continued growth.”
Oobotic selected Melbourne based on workforce availability, business climate, operational considerations, and incentives provided by AEDC.
The company expects to hire across a range of manufacturing, operations, and administrative functions. Employment information will be available at oobotic.com.
