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ShareBraintech headquarters moving south
By Scott Neufeld - North Shore Outlook
Published: November 19, 2008 4:00 PM
Updated: November 20, 2008 10:34 AM
One of North Vancouver’s leading high-tech companies is moving its head office to the U.S.
Braintech announced last week that it has moved its corporate headquarters to McLean, Va., an upscale suburb of Washington, D.C.
The move is an attempt to secure more business from industries on the East Coast, according to Braintech’s CEO.
“We want to grow and strengthen our government business,” said Rick Weidinger in a news release. “Being in the Washington, D.C., area will make us more visible and provide more opportunities for growth.”
Braintech’s research and development facility will remain at its First Avenue location, according to the release.
A sales office is planned for Detroit by the end of the year.
The company was founded in 1993 and grew into a leader in the specialized field of vision guided robotics.
While many manufacturing plants were replacing workers with robots, Braintech was the first to give those robots the ability to see.
Braintech’s specially-designed cameras allowed robots to perform ever more complex tasks.
After 10 years of research and development, the company made headway in 2002 when it brought robotics products to the market after successes installing the system in Ford Motor Company plants.
Braintech software is now used in more than 470 installations around the world including automotive plants.
Company founder Owen Jones, a Handsworth graduate, handed over Braintech’s reins to Weidinger in October 2007. Jones remains as a director and advisor.
