AKG, a German-based manufacturer of cooling systems and heat exchangers, recently opened its new 80,000 square foot facility in Mitchell, S.D. The opening of the facility in the Mitchell Interstate 90 Industrial Park marks the company’s second U.S. expansion.

“We know that to remain competitive in the manufacturing sector, we have to continuously adapt to market conditions, and adopt the latest technologies,” said South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds. “This is an opportunity for South Dakota to keep our manufacturing sector on the leading edge and competitive in the global marketplace.”

South Dakota manufacturers created 3,200 jobs and injected $275 million in capital investment in 2005. In 2003 and 2004, there were 40 expansions by Mitchell manufacturers, creating 184 jobs and a capital investment of $8.5 million.

“The cooperation between the government of South Dakota and the local authorities is excellent,” said Dr. Bodo Marquardt, managing director of AKG. “AKG hopes that the relationship between South Dakota, Mitchell and AKG will, in the future, bring profit to the state, the people and our company,” he concluded.

Dieter Reichel, senior consultant for AKG, agreed that South Dakota’s response time and accessibility made it stand out from other sites.

“I can not say enough good things about the state and the community of Mitchell. When I asked the state for information, it never took longer than 12 hours to receive that information,” he said.

AKG currently has 11 manufacturing facilities located around the world. It first expanded to the United States in 1981 when it built a plant in Mebane, N.C.