5 Manufacturing Facilities That Will Blow Your Mind

1.) Volkswagen Factory at Autostadt – Wolfsburg, Germany

The Autostadt facility attracts more than 2 million visitors per year with its unique, ultra-modern architectural design. The main pavilion opened in May of 2000 which provided an opportunity to present famous cars to the public. There are two 200 ft. tall glass silos used as storage for new Volkswagens. The two towers are connected to the Volkswagen factory by an underground tunnel. When the cars arrive at the towers, they are carried up to one of the many slots that revolve around the entire silo. The unique part of this design is that if somebody decides to purchase a new vehicle at Autostadt, the car is automatically retrieved and delivered at the bottom with an odometer reading of exactly “0.” The Autostadt factory is without a doubt an amazing example of modern engineering.

2.) Lockheed Martin – Fort Worth, TX

Lockheed Martin, headquartered in Bethesda, MD is a global leader in the design, manufacturing and support of military aircraft. For Lockheed Martin, it all started back in 1912 when Glenn L. Martin established the Glenn L. Martin Company in Los Angeles, California. It all began after he built his first plane in a rented church. Today, Lockheed Martin is a global frontrunner acquiring $47,182 M revenue in 2012 (biz.yahoo.com). Lockheed Martin takes our number 2 spot with their amazing aeronautics facility in Fort Worth, Texas. This massive facility houses some of the most innovative and advanced military aircraft in the world. With 14,500 + employees at this particular facility, it’s safe to say that the Fort Worth facility is a stunning example of modern manufacturing.

3.) Harley Davidson – York, PA

Harley Davidson is a world-renowned brand and manufacturer of motorcycles. Their York, PA headquarters is home to the assembly of the Touring, Softail®, CVO™ and Trike models. In addition, they also perform a wide-variety of manufacturing operations including making parts such as frames, fuel tanks and fenders. Over the years, thousands of Harley Davidson owners and fans have flocked to the York location to witness a breathtaking tour of the facility. In fact, they were named one of “America’s Best Factory Tours” by Smarter Travel Media. Harley Davidson continues to develop top-notch motorcycles for their massive following of brand advocates.

4.) Louisville Slugger – Louisville, KY

Who doesn’t recognize the name Louiville Slugger? Did you know it all began in the hands of a 17 year old kid? That’s right – Louiville Slugger started when John A. “Bud” Hillerich witnessed Pete Browning (Louiville Eclipse player) break his bat at a game. Bud then invited Browning over to his father’s woodworking shop in Louisville, KY to make him a new one. Bud then hand-crafted a new bat that led Browning to obtain three hits the next day. 120 years later, Louisville Slugger has sold more than 100,000,000 bats, making it the most popular brand in baseball.

5.) Riedel – Austria

Riedel is a wine glass manufacturer headquartered in Austria. What’s unique about Riedel is the fact that their history goes all the way back to the first generation of the family in 1678 when Johann Christoph Riedel was born. He spent his life journeying all over Europe trading glass. In fact, he traveled as far as Spain and Portugal to make a name for him. Today, Riedel has 5 factories that produce a mind blowing amount of wine glass pieces per year. At their Frauenau factory, Riedel has 200 employees where they produce 19 million pieces per year! That’s only a small piece of the pie – their Amberg factory produces 18 million pieces per year, Weiden produces 17 million pieces per year and Kufstein produces 250,000 pieces per year.

So, there you have it! Our top 5 list of manufacturing facilities that will blow your mind. Which one is your favorite? Do you know of any other facilities that should have made the list? Drop a comment below and let us know!